


Dragons are a myth

by dont_hate_me01



Category: NCIS, NCIS (AU)
Genre: Dark Elves, Dragons, Drug Abuse, Elves, Fulfilling of prophecy, Healers, Incest (Unknown from one side), Kitsune, M/M, Mages, Nagini - Freeform, Oracle - Freeform, Other Supernatural Creatures - Freeform, Prophets, Rough Trade November 2017 challenge, Seers, Trolls, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-07-23 10:48:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 69,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16157492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dont_hate_me01/pseuds/dont_hate_me01
Summary: Not all vampires are evil, but some elves can not be trusted. That is one thing to remember. The other – dragons do not exist. Tony is a drug addict and a con artist. As a human he’s nothing special. Yet, he has the ability to see any creature’s true form. He finds himself in the middle of a prophecy, something he had no knowledge of until he was kidnapped by a dragon. Wait, dragons do not exist, so what is going on?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the amazing [rose_malmaison](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rose_malmaison) for creating this amazing piece of art! The large version is now included with the acknowledgments.

**Prologue**

“You’re brooding again, James.” The male voice that echoed from above sounded bored.

James huffed, but didn’t deny the allegation made against him. Instead, he leaned forward and rested his chin on his palm. He continued to stare into the vastness of the large warehouse they found themselves in without really seeing anything.

“What’s wrong, oh, apprentice of ours?” The female in the group spoke up as she nudged her friend in his side as she hung upside down from a low beam.

“You won’t understand.”

“It speaks!” The first man jumped up from where he was perched on a high crate and landed softly on his feet.

“Fuck off, Timothy.”

“Can’t do, not now in any case.” The one called Timothy shrugged. “Stop brooding, what’s wrong?” He took his seat on the other side of the man.

James looked at his two friends. “Stop hanging like that, Abigail, you’re making my head spin.”

She rolled her eyes, but with a fluid movement landed next to the two men and took her seat. “Better?”

“Much.” He smiled.

“So?” She arched an eyebrow, her dark eyes sparkled with mischief.

“James,” Timothy nearly growled.

“Stop calling me James, you make me sound old.”

Both of his friends laughed. “You are old, James,” Timothy continued. “Just because you look twenty-five, doesn’t mean that you can ignore the other four hundred you need to add to get to your real age.”

James cringed. “Don’t remind me, please.” He shifted his position on the hard crate. “I’m still younger than either of you.”

“True.” Abigail nodded. “By right you should call Timmy uncle, or at least something like Elder.”

“Hey, you’re older than me and stop calling me Timmy.” Timothy tried to grab his friend but missed.

Her eyes flashed red for a second and a high-pitched chirp made both of them cover their ears. “You two are acting like teenagers. “You.” She poked James in the side. “Don’t want to be called James, but Jimmy because you don’t want to sound old.” She turned to the second man. “While you.” She dug her fingers into his side as well. “Don’t want to be called Timmy, but Timothy, because you don’t want to sound young.” She sighed. “You’re making my head hurt. It’s a new era, can we just all decide what we want to be called for at least the next hundred years without moaning about it?”

Both men looked down at their feet. “Sorry, Abigail.” They both spoke up at the same time.

“Abby.”

They looked confused. “For the remainder of this century, I’ll go by the name Abby.” She smiled at both of them. “Abby, the vampire.” She cocked her head. “It has a nice ring to it.” She chirped again before she shimmered and changed into her true form. The spotted bat flew around their heads for a few times before it shimmered again and the female form landed in front of them again. She laughed. “Well, what will it be?”

The two men looked at one another.

“Jimmy,” James spoke up first. He didn’t shift, but for a few seconds he appeared to be in long flowing robes, with a pointy head firmly stuck on his head. He wasn’t the oracle apprentice for nothing.

“Timothy,” the last male spoke up. He himself shimmered, a dashing fox with nine tails jumped off the crate, took a run around his friends before the Kitsune changed form again and took his seat.

“Good, then that’s settled.” Abby looked at the two men. “So, are you ready now to tell us what’s bothering you, Jimmy?”

Jimmy bowed his head. “It happened again.”

Abby chirped, her head bowed. Even Timothy’s raspy bark sounded sad. They didn’t need any more information to know, to what their friend referred.

“I’m sorry.” Abby scooted closer and gave her friend a hug. “What happened? I thought you said his life-thread was strong.”

“It was, but he got ill – pneumonia. He didn’t make it.”

“How old was he?”

“Abby.” Jimmy sighed, he thought of not answering her, but he knew she would persist until he gave in. “Fourteen.”

Abby chirped again. “He was almost a man.”

Timothy nodded his head. “And at least he didn’t die a violent death this time.”

“Guys, that’s not the point.” Jimmy jumped to his feet, frustration edged on his face. “He could’ve been saved.”

“Jimmy.” Timothy shook his head. “You know it doesn’t work like that.”

“And why not? Because of some prophecy? A prophecy he will never fulfill if he can’t stay alive long enough.”

“Then it was not the right time.” A deeper voice sounded at their back and the three turned around. All of them came to their feet and bowed deeply.

“I know it is hard to accept, but we have to be patient. That is all that we can do.”

“Yes, Oracle.” All three answered.

Abby looked up first. “Do we know how long we’ll have to wait?”

“For what exactly, Abigail?” The distinguished gentleman walked to them and took a seat on a crate across the three friends. He took off his wire framed spectacles and cleaned them with a white handkerchief he plucked from his jacket pocket.

“For him to be reborn,” she stated solemnly. She saw Jimmy shudder next to her and she grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight.

The oracle shrugged. “You know that is not possible for me, or for anyone else to say. The wheel turns and for us there is nothing else that we can do.”

“But, the time periods between each birth are getting smaller.” Timothy looked at the oracle. “It is for the second time this century that he had been born and died. Before, it took longer.”

“Correct.” The oracle rose to his feet. “I have a feeling that he’ll be born yet again, not within the next ten years, no, but definitely still in this century.” He pushed his glasses back on his nose. “Until then, we have got other things to keep ourselves busy with, is that not so?”

All three the younglings bowed their heads. “Yes, Ducky.” The answered in a chorus.

“Good. Then get going. Time doesn’t stand still, at least not for the three of you.” He chuckled softly before he made his way out of the large structure and with a small _snap_ he disappeared.

Jimmy looked at his friends. “I’m going to help him next time.” He had a stubborn look on his face.

A small fist landed on his bicep and a bark sounded on his other side. It was his turn to look at his friends. “I know you also want to help, so don’t act so surprised.” He took a deep breath. “He died this time because no one knew he was ill. If someone had known, he would’ve gotten help, he might have survived. This time around, I’m going to keep a closer eye on the threads of time. This time I’m going to make sure he gets a proper chance of staying alive, in fulfilling the prophecy.”

Abby cocked her head from side to side. “I’ll help.” She looked to Timothy and when he remained silent she jabbed her finger in his side.

“Ouch.” He scowled at her and sighed. “I’ll help, but the moment things go wrong, I’m blaming the two of you.”

Jimmy smiled. “Thank you.” He got to his feet and with a _snap_ of his own, he vanished.

Abby twirled around and the small bat flew away leaving Timothy behind. He looked around, took a deep breath and shimmered into the image of an older man. He flipped the fedora onto his head, took his topcoat and walked into the sunlight of the year 1935.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Dragon Pride Estates – 1995**

“The prodigal son has returned.” Tobias Fornell leaned against the door frame and watched as the dragon he knew for longer than he cared to remember, straighten out. Gibbs had been hunting those who killed his second mate and child for the past four years. Gibbs didn’t wait for anyone. He took flight and now, for the first time, he returned home.

“Fuck off, Tobias.”

Fornell snorted. “Yes, just as crass as I remembered.” He closed the distance between them and before the other man could utter a word, he hugged him tight. “I’ve missed you.”

“Me too.”

The reply was muffled against his shoulder, but instead of moving away, Tobias stood his ground. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he finally uttered the words. He could feel the nod against his clothes before the dragon moved away. Tobias stepped back and with grace went down on one knee. “I swear on my blood and the honor of my clan and kin to stand by you. As your beta, I swear to be at your side for vengeance, retribution and justice.” His eyes glowed bright as the oath he took settled upon him. Tobias looked on as the man, the dragon nodded and then moved away. He didn’t comment on the oath made to him. Tobias knew he wouldn’t. “Gibbs.” He tried again.

“I’m in need of a shower. We’ll talk later.” Gibbs didn’t turn back but moved deeper into his bed chamber before he disappeared into the bathroom.

Tobias came to his feet. “Stubborn fool.” He said it with a smile. His Alpha, the leader of their pride, had returned. He couldn’t think that the Council was impressed, but with Gibbs back, they’d have to listen. Gibbs might be the youngest Alpha, but he was of the purest royal blood. If he said the Council had to jump, they’d better ask how high.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

“I hear he’s back.”

“Councilor,” Tobias replied as he bowed low. “You have heard correct, but forgive me, I thought you would’ve known beforehand that he’d be here.”

Shepard huffed. “You are too old to play dumb, Dragon Fornell. You are well aware of the fact that even though the Council may rule, the pride’s alliance is with _him_. We do not hear rumors, unless we are meant to hear them. And as for the Oracle…” She looked around.

“Yes, Councilor Shepard, I am happy that you are not planning on completing that sentence. You do know well enough that neither I, nor my apprentice, spend day in and day out in front of the Mirror of Life to know each little detail of what is happening around the world. And, even if we did, the fact that Dragon Gibbs returned, would not have caused a ripple in the tides of time and therefore it is highly possible for us to have missed this occasion.” The Oracle appeared from the side. Both dragons bowed before him, although Shepard did a poor job of it. He let it go as he was in no mood for her peevishness.

“I would watch my tone if I were you, Oracle.” She moved forward, but found her path blocked by Tobias. Ducky remained where he was.

“And I would step back if I were you, Councilor.” Tobias’ eyes flashed with anger. “To me it feels like you are threatening the Oracle, and you know that is punishable by death.”

She hissed in anger but stepped back. She turned towards Ducky. “Please forgive me, Oracle. I meant no disrespect.” She ignored Tobias.

“All is in order, Councilor Shepard.” Ducky nodded his head and then turned to face Tobias. In doing that, he intentionally excluded Shepard from the conversation. She had no other choice but to leave. She did it with a huff, but neither male paid her any attention.

“How is he doing, Tobias?” Ducky asked as they moved down the hallway. Even if it was the year 1995, Ducky still wore his billowing robes and the castle walls were still lined with burning torches.

“You know we are talking about Gibbs?”

Ducky smiled. “You’ve known him since the day of his birth, Tobias. He might not speak, but his actions say more than what his words have ever done.”

“Well, in that case, he’s still grieving and that’s to be expected.” His tone was clipped.

“You have reason to be angry, Tobias, but I have to caution you. You need to be the reasoning in this instance. He is set on vengeance, but vengeance is not everything. Do not let him get lost in the dark. Do not let his soul be consumed.”

“You’ve got it wrong, Oracle. Gibbs is not the only one dead set on revenge. I’ve already made my vow towards my Alpha that I will be at his side and that I will do everything in my power to make sure that those who are responsible get what they deserve.”

It was Ducky’s turn to huff. “Then you are both fools, Tobias. You need to remember, vengeance or revenge; whatever you care to call it, it has a darkness attached to it and that is not the way of life.”

“And yet, Oracle, you seem to forget. We are dragons, we never forget. And for us with that kind of memory, there is only one thing that satisfies that – vengeance. The colder the better.”

Ducky came to a halt. “You are going down the wrong path, Tobias.”

Tobias cocked his head. “Are you then saying that the pride, that myself, that Gibbs should forget what happened? That we should forget that his second mate and child of his loins were slaughtered? That they were brutalized before they were killed and left for him to find? And then to top it all off, they fled, like the cowards they are, and you want us, you want Gibbs to focus on what? Justice?” Tobias shook his head. “No, Oracle, Gibbs is focused on the correct thing – revenge, and I will be alongside him every step of the way.” He bowed. “Now, you’ll have to excuse me. I’ve got an Alpha to attend to.” Tobias walked away.

Ducky raised his head and closed his eyes. He didn’t need to look into the Mirror of Life, to know that there were going to be dark times ahead. He shuddered and knew it had nothing to do with the damp, cold walls of the castle.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

“You are annoyed.” Gibbs looked over his shoulder to his second in command as he reached for a fresh shirt and pulled it over his shoulders. He had taken a long shower, but then took to the air after that. It had been too long for him to be away from his lands. He needed to connect again. It meant a second shower, but at least now he felt more at ease.

Tobias grunted and sat himself down in one of the deep chairs. He looked up at Gibbs. “Let’s see, since you’ve returned, I had both Councilor Shepard and the Oracle breathing down my neck. Both had their own agenda, but at least Ducky had your welfare on his mind, other than Shepard. Her agenda towards you is still dark. And then every other member of this pride had to come and inquire if you are in need of something, as if they can’t ask you themselves.”

“I am sorry.” Gibbs placed his hand over his heart. “As for Shepard, you know I don’t share your sentiments about her. She has been a very loyal friend.”

Tobias nodded. He knew Shepard was a touchy subject for Gibbs. He chose to ignore Gibbs’ comment. Instead, he focused on the apology. “You don’t need to be. I’m just being grumpy. I hate politics.”

His admissions made Gibbs smile. “I don’t think Ducky would be impressed if you say he has a political agenda.”

“Well, then I don’t know what to call it, but there’s something up with him. He’s acting all high and mighty.”

Gibbs snorted. “Our Oracle answers to a higher power than what we do, Tobias. If we remember his age, he might be allowed to act all high and mighty.”

“We’re no children.”

Gibbs raised his eyebrow. “You do realize you just admitted that you’re old.”

Tobias shook his head. “No, I admitted that _we_ are old. There’s a huge difference.”

Gibbs nodded, but didn’t reply, instead he became serious. “I lost their scent.” He was disappointed in himself.

“I thought as much. You wouldn’t have come back for any other reason.” Tobias came to his feet. “What are you going to do now?”

“Speak to Ducky, hear what our Oracle has to say. Find them, kill them.”

“You do realize Ducky will not help you. He’s of the opinion that vengeance is not an option. According to him you might go dark.”

Gibbs gaped at his friend. “And since when have we, I, been anything but dark? I have never been an angel, and I won’t be. I will find them, every last one of them and I will kill them. The only thing that I ask of Ducky is to help me to do it quicker. The sooner the better, but even if he doesn’t help me that isn’t going to stop me from getting to them.”

“Of _us_ getting to them, Alpha. I already made my oath to you. This time, you’re not going alone.”

Gibbs growled. “Are you insinuating that I should’ve waited for you when I found the lifeless bodies of my mate and child? Should I have waited for the scent to grow cold while you were halfway across the world?”

Tobias sighed and shook his head. “No, Alpha. That’s not what I’m saying. You have the right to avenge your mate and child. All that I’m saying is that this time, I’m not going to let you go at it alone. You’ve been gone from our lands for four years, without taking a moment for yourself. The only reason why you’re back is because you’ve lost the scent. You’re enraged. _I_ am furious. But, we will find them.”

“Thank you, Tobias.” Gibbs stretched. “I need to find, Ducky.”

“You’re going to growl at me, so start doing that, but I think you need to get some sleep first. You’ve been running on empty for far too long.”

“I’m fine, Tobias.” Gibbs did growl.

“No, you’re not.” Tobias reached out and grasped his best friend’s arm. “I saw you change from your true form into your human form, Jethro. Your scales have turned gray. You know that only happens when you’re on the brink of collapse. Please, take a few hours and then we can go to Ducky together.”

Gibbs looked at the hand that rested on his forearm. Except for the hug from earlier, this was only the third time since the death of his family that someone touched him physically. His body yearned for touch, but he pushed the feeling away. “I’m fine.” He repeated his earlier words.

“You’re not _fine_. You’re being a fool.” Tobias moved away. “But, it is my fault. I have forgotten. You, the mighty Gibbs, never show any sign of weakness, heaven forbid that it be said that you have feelings.”

Gibbs roared and the castle became quiet. “Get out.”

“As my Alpha wishes.” Tobias turned and left. The door slammed shut behind him.

Gibbs fought with his dragon side as the beast within him wanted to get out. He wanted to cause mayhem and destroy everything in his way. He rippled in anger, but then got his emotions under control and his shoulders sagged. Tobias was right, but he couldn’t show weakness, not even for a mere second.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Gibbs looked at the young mage who sat silently as if he had nothing more to do than be right there in that moment. In a sense he assumed that the apprentice did indeed belong where he was, but he couldn’t think that Ducky would let the younger man sit around being idle. From where he stood, he was sure the man was idle.

He tore his gaze away from the mage when he saw movement in the reflective surface of the mirror. _‘The Mirror of Life’_. Gibbs hated the terminology. It didn’t give life, it didn’t take life away and, in most instances, it was just a normal mirror. But, then, he wasn’t a mage, so he didn’t quite understand the workings of the mirror, nor did he have the patience to even try to understand how the mirror worked. He took a step closer and looked at the mirror. He frowned at the image.

A small human boy appeared in the middle of the mirror. He couldn’t have been older than six. It looked like he was in a bedroom. There was a twin bed at his back and Gibbs could see a small desk and chair to the side. The boy sat on the floor. He held something to his chest and for a moment Gibbs thought it to be a puppy, but then he saw it was a stuffed toy. It looked like a dragon. He could clearly see that it was old. It was missing an eye; the one ear was hanging by a thread and even the color was faded.

Gibbs looked on, mesmerized, as the young boy hugged the stuffed toy once more. He kissed it on the top of the head and then Gibbs noticed that the boy was crying. A spark travelled through his body and he had to place his hand over his heart as it ached for the child and he took a step closer. He wanted to ask Ducky’s apprentice who the boy was, but before he could speak the boy’s head snapped around. He could see the fear on the boy’s face.

What looked to be a man appeared in the mirror. Gibbs watched as the man reached down and grabbed the toy from the boy’s hand. He shook it hard. Although he couldn’t hear what was said, he was certain that the man yelled at the boy as he clearly cringed away. The boy shook his head and turned to kneel on his knees. He reached out and Gibbs could clearly make out the word _please_.

The boy repeated the word. He even shook his head and then his shoulders sagged. Gibbs had no idea what was going to happen, but he had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be good. They boy reached out again and this time the man shoved the stuffed toy back into the boy’s small hands. The boy wiped away a tear and looked at the dragon he held in his hand. He reached out and Gibbs frowned as he saw the man handing the boy a pair of scissors. The boy trembled so hard that he could see it through the mirror. The man must’ve spoken up again because the boy shuddered. Gibbs looked on as the small boy took the scissors in the one hand and the dragon in the other and brought the two together. Gibbs found himself growling from deep within his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to stop what was about to happen, but there was nothing he could do. He watched as the boy snipped the dragon’s head clear off. He dropped the dragon and the scissors to the floor as if they were burning him. He was crying hard. Gibbs roared as the man leaned in and backhanded the boy across the face.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

“ _Obscuro_!” Ducky bellowed as Gibbs continued to roar. The mirror turned black and Ducky looked at his apprentice as he shook his head. “Stay.” He moved away from the younger man and went to where the Alpha dragon stood. He planted himself firmly before the enraged man.

“ _Resido_.” He reached out and placed his hand on top of his friend’s shoulder. The reaction was instantaneous as Gibbs settled down. Ducky smiled. “I do apologize for using my power on you and that you had to witness something like that. Please know that it will not happen again.”

“What was that?” Gibbs’ voice was hoarse. He ignored Ducky’s apology on the fact that the Oracle used his power on him.

“Nothing that you need to concern yourself about. I will handle it.” Ducky looked at his apprentice.

“I do apologize, Oracle.” Jimmy bowed his head.

“We will talk later, Mage Palmer.” Ducky squeezed his friend’s arm. “Tell me, Alpha, why are you here? What can I do for you?”

“NO!” Gibbs roared again. “I asked you a question, Oracle, and I expect an answer. Do not let me repeat myself.” His eyes glowed red. The residual effect of the power word used on him already evaporated.

Ducky squared his shoulders. “And do I need to remind you, Jethro, that you are in my domain? This is a holy place. I do not answer to you. Not, when it comes to the matters of the Mirror. And it is best that _you_ do not forget that.”

“You are still in my keep, Oracle.” Gibbs stepped even closer.

Ducky didn’t move back. He looked the furious dragon in the eyes. “I am well aware that this is your home, Alpha. I have been staying here since before you were born. Need I remind you of the agreement reached between your ancestors and those oracles before me? We have been standing with the dragons for as long as the earth can remember. Do not let _this_ cloud your judgment and let a treaty as old as ours crumble to dust.”

“That child has been harmed. I will not stand here and do nothing. I want to know who he is and what can be done to help him. The sooner the better. You can either share the information with me, or I can obtain it in another way. Your choice.”

Ducky’s robes billowed around him. The room darkened, and thunder can be heard in the distance. “This has nothing to do with you, Alpha. What you have seen is in the past. We cannot be of assistance. The threads are woven. It will lead where it is supposed to go. We cannot and we are not allowed to change it.”

Gibbs bristled in anger, but he remained silent. Long minutes passed between them before he finally spoke up again. “You once told me that only those threads of life that are important to our future can be seen in the mirror. I know about the prophecy. He is part of the prophecy is he not?” There was a second question he wanted to ask, but he kept quiet. He had a feeling Ducky wouldn’t understand if he asked.

Ducky’s shoulders sagged. “You know what I have told you. You also know I cannot speak to you about matters that are yet to come.” He held up his hand when Gibbs wanted to speak again. “What I can say is that the conclusion you have reached is sound. Please, do not ask about this again.”

Gibbs sighed. He nodded his head, turned on his heels and rushed out of the large room. Not once did he look back. He couldn’t get the boy out of his mind. He didn’t want to.

Ducky bowed his head but didn’t turn to face the younger man behind him. “I have told you before, Apprentice Palmer not to seek out what is not there for you to see. We are not allowed to interfere with the future. If, I ever catch you purposefully looking for this boy in any way or manner without the Mirror giving up the information freely I will ban you from this plane for the rest of your long life. And I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you live for eons.” Ducky sighed. “Get out of my sight. At least for the rest of this day.”

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Jimmy stumbled through the cold, damp passages. Never before in his life, and certainly not since he started his apprenticeship with the Oracle more than three hundred years ago did he see the Oracle so enraged as on this day. He knew Ducky had the right to be angry with him. He had intentionally broken a rule set by the Oracle and looked for the boy who is supposed to fulfill the prophecy. But, he couldn’t help it. It was as if he was drawn to the boy on a level that even he didn’t understand. Each time the boy died, each time the boy returned as a new life, he felt it. He felt the spark ignite with each new birth and he felt the light go out with each death. It was if a part of himself died each time. He had no idea what to do.

He turned the corner and crashed into something rock solid. It made him stumble back. If it wasn’t for a hand that grabbed him by the arm, he would’ve landed on his back. Jimmy blanched as he saw who it was.

“Alpha.” He bowed his head.

“Apprentice.” Gibbs yanked the smaller man closer to him. “Tell me what you know about the boy. And do not try to leave anything out. I will know if you do.”

Jimmy gulped. He opened his mouth to say no, but then he saw the look in the dragon’s eyes and he closed his mouth again.

“Speak!”

Jimmy took a deep breath. He respected the Oracle. He saw the older man as a father figure, but right in that moment, he held more fear for the Alpha before him than anything else. He told the dragon all that he knew. He looked on as the dragon’s eyes flared red. He could see the dragon struggling to keep hold of his emotions. Jimmy was impressed that the dragon remained stoic as he told his story. He closed his eyes as he finally finished his tale. “That is all I know, Alpha.”

“I believe you.” Gibbs released the hold he had on his arm and Jimmy stepped back.

“You will however, do _everything_ in your power to keep him well, to keep him alive. I can only imagine with what Ducky might have threatened you with, but I promise you, what Ducky can do to you, will pale in comparison with what I will do to you. You do not want to cross me, Apprentice. I will make your life hell. Do you understand?”

Jimmy could only nod. He stood rooted to the spot in fear as the large Alpha dragon turned around and as silent as a mouse slipped away. He knew he was between a rock and a hard place. But he wanted to help the boy. He always wanted to help the boy. Even if it meant living for eons banned to another realm. He could cope with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Obscuro – Darken_
> 
>  
> 
> _Resido – settle down_


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Washington D.C. – 2006**

“Shit!” Abby yelled as she got yanked from her sleep and found herself on the floor as she tumbled from her bed. She looked up at the apparition of the man who stood before her.

“James Palmer, you better have an excellent excuse for making me jump like that.” She stood up from the floor and glared at the image. She didn’t sleep in a bed normally, but when she did she expected her sleep to go undisturbed.

“I need your help, Abby.” Jimmy’s specter paced. “He’s in need of medical attention and you’re the closest to him.”

Abby frowned. “Where are you and why didn’t you call 911?”

The specter shimmered. “You know I’m not allowed direct contact with him, Abby. And he’s also in a bad part of town. The paramedics won’t go there. More specifically, not at this time of the night. Please, you said you’d help.”

“Fine, where is he?” She rolled her eyes. She couldn’t think of any part of the city that could be _that_ dangerous. Not for her in any case.

“In the Dragone district.”

Abby stared at him. The little blood she had in her body drained from her face. “In a bad part of town? You’re crazy, Jimmy. That’s not just _a_ bad part of town and you know it. How the hell did he end up there? I can’t go there, I’d be powerless. You know about all the wards that surround that place. What will _they_ say if they find out? We’re not allowed to enter there. Ducky will skin me alive. Even the baddest of the bad avoid going in there. And then I’m not even talking about the humans. Humans don’t go there – ever. So, why is he there, Jimmy? What is he doing there?” She started to pace.

“Abby, please. I don’t know how he ended up there. You know I can’t watch him all the time, but I can’t let him die, not again.”

She could hear the desperation in his voice and she could see the anguish on his face. “Fine, I’ll go. Where exactly is he?” It would be tricky and dangerous, but she was up to the task. Especially if it meant fulfilling the prophecy.

“You need to get Naloxone first.”

“What the hell is that and where do you want me to find it?” She chirped irritated.

“It’s the drug that you need to get to help him, Abby. He’s about to OD on heroin and it blocks the effect of opioid drugs in the body. Please, Abby. There’s an EMT crew just on the outskirts of the district, they’re busy with a mother going into premature labor. They won’t need the Naloxone and the ambulance is not locked. Just get it and get to him, his time is running out.”

Abby chirped in annoyance. “You owe me, Jimmy Palmer. Big time.” Without waiting for a response, she changed form and the small bat flew out of the window into the darkness of the night.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Abby fell from the sky and tumbled to the ground. There was a reason why even supernatural beings avoided this district. The magic contained here was ancient. Older than the planet earth. No other magic was allowed in here. In her case, she couldn’t come in her true form and the moment she broke the ward she fell to the ground and now had to walk the rest of the way. She clutched the stolen vials and syringe in her hand as she looked around. There wasn’t anything to see, but it didn’t mean that no one was watching. She found the building that Jimmy had described with ease and entered it quickly. It was even darker inside than it was outside, but her vision adapted and without hesitation she proceeded deeper.

“Hello!” She called out. Her voice sounded high pitched and she cleared her throat. “Hello!” She tried again. “I’m going to kill you, Jimmy. Just watch me, I am,” Abby mumbled to herself as she walked further into the abandoned building.

She placed her hand over her nose and mouth, the smells around her were rank. “Stupid prophecy, stupid Jimmy, stupid friendship.” Abby kept on moaning as she made her way deeper into the darkened building. She spotted something that looked like a crude structure erected from cardboard boxes right at the back of the building. At the same time, she smelt something else. It smelled moldy, she wanted to go so far as to describe it as black. It didn’t make sense, because black was a color, not a smell, but she could imagine the smell. It was gooey like thick strands of tar. She had a feeling that it should’ve been a fresh smell, like the smell of wet soil after it rained. The nearer she came to the structure the more intense the smell became, it was almost overpowering strong. Abby felt tears streaming down her cheeks but instead of stepping back, she pushed forward.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Abby hunkered in front of what looked like the entrance. She could make out a solitary male figure lying on his side. The smell emanated from the figure itself, although from what she could see he was neatly dressed, although the clothing looked thread bare and the only other thing in the structure was a blanket that seemed relatively clean.

“Hello, can you hear me, hello?” Abby tapped on the man’s leg but received no response. She could hear breathing. It sounded gurgled and he snored at the same time. He didn’t look older than twenty. “Can you hear me?” She poked him with her finger and even yelled, but he didn’t wake up.

Abby bit down on her bottom lip and hissed as she nicked herself with her own fang. She lapped at the tiny droplet of blood and the puncture mark sealed over. She had no idea on what to do and with all the wards that surrounded this area, Jimmy couldn’t appear to help her. The fact that she forgot to take her cell phone made things worse. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what he had said.

Abby reached out and touched his wrist. She gasped at the tingling feeling that went up her arm. It felt soothing and warm. She closed her fingers around his wrist and felt for a pulse. Abby had to concentrate to find one. “Too slow, Jimmy said it shouldn’t be like this.” Next, she checked his temperature. His skin was pale and clammy to the touch. “Not right either.” Abby took the syringe and the vial and pulled the drug up before she jabbed it hard into the man’s thigh. She hoped she was doing it correctly. The man had no reaction to the treatment and remained unconscious.

“Jimmy said it would take him a while to get better, I just need to be patient.” Abby crossed her legs and sat down. She looked around and smiled. The inside of the structure was filled with the most amazing sketches. From something simple to complex drawings of what looked like the Trevi fountain in Rome, in Italy. Complete with the Palazzo Poli in the background and the magnificent statues. She reached out and touched the sketch closest to her. It was of a young couple holding hands. Even though it was done in charcoal it seemed to be alive. She wondered if he was responsible for all of it.

“I don’t even know your name. I assume Jimmy does. I mean, he knows a lot about you.” Abby shrugged. “It sounds strange, I know. Especially if I tell you he..., we, have been waiting for you for a very long time.” She pushed her legs up to her chest and crossed her arms around her knees. “We’ve been friends for almost as long as what I can remember, and no, I’m not going to tell you my age. A lady never reveals how old she is.” She smiled. “But, you see, we also get tired to be around one another for such extended periods of time, so we tend to drift apart. I’ve left D.C more than four decades ago. I only returned here about a year ago. It has been a busy year. I’ve not even had a chance to visit Jimmy or even McGee properly. I knew you were born, but other than that I know nothing about you. Except, well, once again, it seems like you’re not ready to fulfill your destiny. But, that’s where Jimmy comes in. He’s on your side. I’m on your side. So, stop dying, start living and become what you’re supposed to be.” Abby shifted closer. The smell around her changed, it no longer smelt toxic.

“You are really weird, for a human, I mean.” She sighed and reached out to touch his hand. “At least it seems like you’re feeling a bit better.” Abby looked on as the young man sighed and turned slightly. “Good, that’s good.” She shook him lightly. “Come on, open your eyes. I need to know that you’re okay. Jimmy said that I should get you to be able to stand and walk out of here. I have to get you out of this district and then to a hospital. So, feel better now, and wake up.” She shook him again but got no response.

Abby lowered her head to her drawn up knees and looked at the sketches again. She could get lost in every last one. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice sounded up next to her.

“You’re one of them.”

“Freaking hell!” She moved away. “What do you mean I’m one of _them_?” She got her first proper look at him. He was definitely younger than twenty, eighteen at the most. He had beautiful green eyes and a full head of wavy brown hair. His tanned skin looked pale. He actually had the audacity to huff at her as he rolled his eyes. He looked cute, but Abby had a feeling he wouldn’t be impressed if she told him that.

“You’re not _human_.”

Abby gasped and pressed her hand over her mouth. “I’m not?” She asked shocked and shook her head. “No, it can’t be.” She grinned. “You really are special.” She was impressed that he could tell that she wasn’t human, even if she appeared human. She didn’t know of any human who had that ability.

He cocked his head. “I’m telling you you’re not human and you think I’m special. Lady, you need your head examined.”

Abby could see he didn’t feel good, but she was impressed that he was able to hold a conversation with her. She shook her head. “How are you feeling?” She remembered Jimmy’s instructions. There’s a possibility that he might OD again as they had no idea how much drugs he had in his system and if that was the case then she’d have to inject the stuff into him again. He would not die on her watch.

“Achy,” he responded shortly.

“I would say more than achy.” She shook her head. “You need to tell me how you’re feeling. It’s not something I can guess.” He merely huffed.

Abby realized that she wasn’t going to get anywhere with him. “If you feel shitty, you need to tell me, please.”

“You a doctor?”

“No. Just helping a friend.” Abby replied honestly.

“Yeah, well, I don’t believe in friends.” He tried to sit up but slumped back again. He sounded short of breath.

“Well, I do.” Abby placed her hand on his forehead and ignored the way he flinched when she touched him. “You’re still very clammy.”

He swallowed hard and tried to move his hands so that she couldn’t see how they trembled. He couldn’t hide the whole-body shiver or the groan either.

Abby tried not to roll her eyes. “Definitely more than achy,” she repeated again. “Just don’t die on me and when you can do that, I’ll get you out of here and get you some medical attention.”

“Don’t need help, I didn’t ask for it.” He closed his eyes.

Abby sighed. “Yes, you didn’t, but a friend of mine did on your behalf, and I’m not letting him down.” She took off her jacket and covered him up when he shivered again. He remained quiet. Abby sat and watched him, but she also didn’t want him to fall unconscious. At least when he talked he was breathing. “You do know that the different species have been living together for ages? You’re supposed to be used to it and not make an issue out of it.” She brought their last conversation up.

“So, you’re admitting that you’re not human?” His eyes remained closed.

She couldn’t help to roll her eyes even if he couldn’t see her. “We’re past that. I want to know; can you tell me what I am?” He opened his eyes and looked at her. Abby stared back. It felt like a lifetime passed before he spoke up again.

“You’re a spotted bat, so I’d say vampire.”

Abby gaped at him. “You can see my true form?” She couldn’t help but to look down at herself. When he said she wasn’t human she thought he’d recognize her as a vampire by her skin color, or maybe the way her eyes tend to glow burgundy red, especially in darkened spaces. Not for one moment did she think he’d be able to see her true form. It was no wonder he sounded so weird. “Do you always see true forms?”

He nodded but frowned. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“No.” Abby shook her head. “I’m Abby, what’s your name?” She reached out to shake his hand.

Once again, he pulled away. “Tony.” He closed his eyes.

Abby watched with concern. The little color he had in his face had disappeared, he had a thin film of sweat on his forehead and his cheeks looked flushed. As she looked on he tried to take deep breath but she wasn’t sure if he got any air into his lungs. She caught his hand in his and checked his fingernails. They had a blueish color. Her eyes grew large. “You’re still overdosing.” She didn’t give him time to respond, but grabbed the second vial she’d brought along and pushed the needle of the syringe into it and pulled the stopper back. She didn’t hesitate as she jabbed the needle into his thigh for a second time. She felt guilty as he whimpered in pain. The fact that he didn’t even try to move away or put up more of a fight told her just how bad of he was.

Abby placed the second used syringe and needle into the small container she’d grabbed from the ambulance as well and then turned her attention back to the young man. “You should feel better within the next few minutes.” She tried to sound positive.

She took it as a win when he managed to nod in her direction. Abby pulled her knees up again and sat quietly. Normally she hated sitting still, she always had to be on the move, but there was something about this young man that calmed her in a way she couldn’t explain. She kept an eye on his breathing and she felt the muscles in her shoulders and neck relax as he breathed easier. Now, she only had to get him out of here and to someone who could really help.

After what felt like a lifetime, but in fact it couldn’t have been more than twenty minutes, Abby looked on as Tony groaned and managed to turn. He was almost lying on his back. She watched as he slowly opened his eyes.

“I thought I dreamt it.”

She smiled. “I always wanted to be in someone’s dreams.” She became serious. “How are you feeling?”

“Like death warmed over.” He swallowed hard.

Abby giggled. She raised her hand when he looked at her with a frown. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just funny.” She frowned when she realized that he wasn’t getting it. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-one.”

She used her small fist and hit him lightly on his lower leg. “Try again, buster.”

He grunted and pouted. “Seventeen.”

“You’re really still a boy.” Abby shook her head. “I promised myself I wouldn’t judge, and I won’t, but I still want to ask – why?” Abby could see the moment he shut down. She wanted to kick herself. “You don’t need to tell me.” She tried to salvage the situation, but he remained quiet. “I’m sorry.” She received no answer.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Abby looked on as the ambulance sped off and she remained on the sidewalk. It had taken her longer than what she thought to get Tony up on his feet and able to walk on his own steam. He stumbled more than once before they finally made it out of the Dragone district to a corner where she had been able to get help.

The paramedics said they were taking him to George Washington, but she had a feeling that he wouldn’t be there for too long. She wiped away a stray tear, took a deep breath of what she now realized was his scent. It was that of freshly turned soil after the rain and it made her smile. She looked around and then transformed before she flew off. Abby had no idea if the young man named Tony would fulfill his destiny this time around, she could only hope.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

A lone figure stepped out of the darkened alley as soon as Abby took flight. His eyes blazed an angry red. He hissed before he reached inside his pocket and retrieved what looked like an oddly shaped crystal. He enclosed his hand around it and as it glowed he closed his eyes. _‘He survived.’_ It seemed like he received some sort of communication through the crystal as he went to his knees and bowed deeply. The crystal went dark and he rose up again. It was time to get to work. He had a human to kill.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

“Once again you meddled in those things that do not concern you, Mage Palmer. I thought the last time we had this conversation you understood.” Ducky sighed.

Jimmy remained silent. He could hear the disappointment in his mentor’s voice. He wished he could explain, but nothing he would say would make things better. The oracle wouldn’t understand. He felt connected to the prophecy on a level he even couldn’t explain. It was as if there was something that compelled him to make sure that the prophecy stayed alive and safe. He also had a feeling that The Mirror was assisting him in his task to keep the boy safe. He was the one who was always nearby when the Mirror rippled with life. Not once, in all the time that he had been apprentice to the oracle did he see any other image except for the prophecy itself. He knew Ducky would think him crazy if he admitted to that. It was easier to remain quiet.

“I promised you that I would ban you to another realm if you did something so stupid again.” Ducky took a step closer and stood toe to toe with the younger man. “I even had the realm picked out. But, then for one or other reason the Alpha Dragon came to see me. Do you know why, Mage Palmer?”

Jimmy opened his mouth and then closed it. He had a feeling it was a rhetorical question. He was right when Ducky continued talking as if he didn’t even ask him a question.

“I’ll tell you why, Mage Palmer, because he’s got an ulterior motive. Unfortunately, I don’t know what it is. You know how he feels about The Mirror. You know he lost his ability to trust what we can see in the reflection. And yet, instead of agreeing with me and even trying to argue that we must send The Mirror with you, he came up with a different idea. He wants you to work more closely with him. With his team.” Ducky paced. “More important is who else is on this team, Mage Palmer. Can you take a guess?”

Jimmy shook his head.

“Your two best friends.”

Jimmy frowned. “Abby and McGee?” It was strange indeed. While he and Abby still remained close, Timothy had moved away. They saw him rarely. But, with them being near immortal, distance between friends became a requirement at one time or the other. Especially, if you wanted to stay friends. He focused on his mentor’s words when Ducky spoke again.

“Yes, Abigail and Timothy. But, more importantly, Mage Palmer, is that it was decided that the three of you would relocate together with our Alpha to his new house for the foreseeable future.”

“What will we be doing there, Oracle?” Jimmy gulped. “What about my studies?” He tried not to think about not being near the mirror or sharing a house with the Alpha Dragon. He shivered at the thought that the dragon might crush him to a squishy pulp, if he annoyed the dragon in any way.

“Some of the same questions I asked myself, young man, but I will be more civil towards you and I will not repeat the answer I got. In short, you will do what you are told to do and how you handle your studies will be entirely up to you.”

Jimmy squeaked. He didn’t mean to, it just slipped out. He slammed his hand over his mouth and nose, but that robbed him of the ability to breathe, but he couldn’t get himself to remove his hand. It was a hard slap to the back of his head that made him gasp for air.

“Breathe apprentice, you are no good to me if you die.” Gibbs voice sounded up behind him.

“Sir?” Jimmy asked, confused. He took a step away from the man as the dragon growled. It seemed like he’d be squashed sooner than he imagined.

“I’m not _sir_. I do not sit around and do nothing while playing golf on Wednesdays. You either call me Gibbs or Alpha. You understand?”

“Yes, Alpha.” Jimmy managed to nod, but he still frowned. Before he could stop himself, he spoke up again. “Why?” He looked on as the larger man slowly turned and stared at him.

“Why what?”

“Why are you not banishing me?” Jimmy cringed. That was not what he wanted to ask, but now that he was thinking about it, even the question he did want to ask wouldn’t be appropriate.

“Did you want to be banished? I’m sure Ducky can still do that. You know, wave a wand at you, or something like that.”

“Wave a wand at him?” Ducky huffed and closed the distance between himself and the dragon even before Jimmy could speak up again. “Just what do you think I am, Jethro? A third-grade wizard that needs to use silly props in an attempt to look more powerful than what I really am? Do I need to remind you who I am, what I am capable of?” Ducky flapped with his arms. “And if I wanted to banish him, I would’ve done that ages ago. What I do with my apprentice has got nothing to do with you.”

Jimmy gawked as Gibbs smiled. It seemed like the dragon had a death wish on this day. What astounded him more was when the alpha dragon winked at Ducky and then he addressed him. Jimmy didn’t know if he had to run or seek shelter. “He is mine, Ducky. You know that.”

Jimmy had a feeling he was missing an important part of this whole conversation when Ducky merely bowed. He focused his attention on Gibbs when the dragon turned and looked at him.

“You may be the apprentice to the Oracle, Palmer, but you still work for me. Where I place you, and what I have you do for me, is entirely up to me.”

Jimmy nodded. He had no words. He looked on as the dragon walked towards the door. He gulped as the man spoke up again.

“We’re leaving tomorrow morning at daybreak. Be ready.”

Jimmy looked at the man next to him. He’d been at Ducky’s side for so many years. He didn’t think he was ready for this. “Ducky? Oracle?” He stopped talking as Ducky raised his hand.

“Your Alpha has spoken, Mage Palmer, make sure that you are at the ready tomorrow morning. Alpha Gibbs waits for no dragon, man or apprentice.”

“Yes, Oracle.” Before he could utter another word, Ducky left and for the first time, Jimmy noted how old his friend looked. His heart ached.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Washington D.C.**

“Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs,” Abby chirped as she danced around the man that stood in front of the imposing house.

“Abby.” Gibbs took hold of her and made her stand still. “You’re making my head hurt.”

“Oops, sorry.” She smiled. She managed to remain still. “Did you see the inside, Gibbs? It’s like a palace!” She jumped up and down. “My room is like nothing I’ve seen before. It’s huge! I swear both my coffins will fit into the tub and I can do cartwheel upon cartwheel in my bedroom. The color is a bit bland, I never was one for pastel colors, but you said we could change it, right? I still can paint it black?”

Gibbs tried not to blink or even show any sign of the raging headache he had. He loved Abby, she and Kelly had been good friends, even though Kelly was years younger than Abby, but he always tried not to spend too much time in her company. Now, three hours later he’d reached his limit. “Abby,” he snapped.

“Gibbs?” Abby had taken a step back from him, her body went quiet at the tone of his voice.

Gibbs sighed and reigned back his emotions. “You can paint your room any color you like.” He leaned forward and kissed her on the temple. When she skipped away, he turned to where Tobias leaned against the large SUV parked behind them. “And you can stop moping.”

Tobias rolled his eyes. “I still don’t think this is a good idea.”

Gibbs shrugged. “It’s not as if you could come up with a better plan.”

“I did, but you shot it down.”

“No.” Gibbs shook his head. “I’m not willing to let them get their own places. I need to keep them safe.”

“I know that, Gibbs.” Tobias stepped away from the vehicle. “But how confident are you that they will all stay here?”

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. “They’ve been friends for over three hundred years, Tobias. They will stay together.”

“You sure?” Tobias looked at the house. “Abby will stay because she worships you. Palmer will stay because he fears you, but young McGee, of him, I’m not so sure.”

“McGee will stay.” Gibbs crossed his arms. “Did you send the letter?”

Tobias rolled his eyes and remained quiet.

“Tobias,” Gibbs growled.

“Yes, I did.” He sighed. “He should get it today in fact.”

“Good.” Gibbs looked at Tobias. His friend had a look on his face that he couldn’t decipher. “What?”

“I’m just wondering how long it will take them to drive you up the wall.” He grinned.

It was Gibbs’ turn to smile. “You mean drive _us_ up the wall.”

“No, no.” Tobias stepped back, his hands raised as if he was warding off evil. “You didn’t.”

“I did.” He turned and looked at the house. “There’s more than enough space for all of us, Tobias. Surely, I couldn’t let you stay on your own.” Gibbs grinned. “Ground floor will contain the offices. First floor is for Abby, McGee and Palmer. Top floor is ours.”

Tobias groaned. “I hate you.”

“I know.” Gibbs slapped his friend on the shoulder. “I know you must be excited to go and see your room. Don’t let me stop you.”

“Fuck off, Gibbs,” Tobias grumbled, but stepped closer to the house. He looked on as Gibbs moved away. “Where are you going?”

“Coffee,” Gibbs replied as he took a step forward and changed into his dragon and took flight.

“Coffee my ass!” Tobias shouted after the dragon. He got a high-pitched screech in reply, but that was all. He looked at the house and started to walk towards it. “I hate my life.”

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

“Alpha.” The man built like a house bowed his head as he handed the large cup of coffee over.

“Mike,” Gibbs replied. He took the offered cup of coffee and sighed.

The man called Mike laughed. “You really needed that.”

Gibbs nodded. “You’ve got no idea.” He took another sip and placed the cup next to him on the bench. “What can you tell me?”

“Unfortunately, less than what I wanted to.” Mike leaned back against the bench. “I also know that you’re not going to like what I do have.”

“Spit it out, Mike.”

Mike released his breath. “Humans.”

“Humans?” Gibbs rose to his feet. “Are you saying that the driving force behind the death of my mate and child is human?” His knuckles whitened as he balled his fists.

Mike nodded. “Yes.” He pulled out a thin envelope and held it out for his Alpha to take. “It’s not much, as I said.” He indicated to the single sheet. “It’s a dummy corporation, operating since the eighties. The HQ doesn’t exist. The address is a USP office. All of the names on the board of directors are long dead or have never existed.”

Gibbs crumpled the piece of paper up in his hands. “And the name you got?”

“DiNozzo.” Mike balled his own fists. “Human male, pudgy around the waist, early sixties. Womanizer, conman, ego the size of Everest and a total scumbag.”

“Mike,” Gibbs growled. “What’s the connection between him and the dummy corporation?”

“That’s the problem. I can’t link him with anything solid to the fake company. But, I’m not giving up, Alpha. You know I will never give up.”

Gibbs relaxed his shoulders and nodded. “I know, Mike.” The beta dragon was about fifty years younger than him, but one of the best trackers he had in the pride. “You’ll keep me up to date.”

“I will, Alpha.” Mike bowed his head again and watched as Gibbs stepped away and changed form in the middle of the park. A few supernatural creatures gawked at the sight, but no one commented on it. The humans among them didn’t notice a thing. Mike looked on until he could no longer make out the dragon before he changed himself and flew off in the opposite direction. He had more work to do.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Baltimore, Maryland**

“You wanted to see me, Captain?” Timothy asked as he stood in front of the desk.

“Yes.” Captain Martins handed him an envelope. “You’ve been reassigned. You will report to your new commander tomorrow at first shift.”

“Sir?” Timothy couldn’t help but ask. He had been a police officer for the last ten years. He enjoyed the work. He never applied to be transferred to any other department.

Captain Martins looked up for the first time. “I’m following orders, just like you, Detective.” He looked down at the papers before him again. “Dismissed.”

Timothy turned and almost marched out of the office. When he got to his desk, he opened the envelope for the first time. “What the fuck?” He sat down heavily in his chair.

“Something wrong, Detective?” One of the newbies asked.

Timothy shook his head. Something wasn’t right. He read the letter again. He wanted to get angry but knew that wouldn’t work. Most of the time the Council stayed out of the lives of ordinary citizens, even more so the Alpha Dragon of the United States. Seeing it in black and white that he’d been recalled without giving him a reason why, made him see red. It didn’t matter that it was the seal of the Alpha Dragon himself that appeared at the bottom of the letter.

Timothy took out his private phone from his desk drawer. Normally he wouldn’t use it at the office, but this was not any normal situation. He had to find out what was going on. The phone rang twice before it got answered.

_“Timothy.”_

“Admiral,” McGee replied. He cleared his throat. He always had difficulties talking to his father. He heard his father sigh and knew he had to speak up quickly before he hung up. “Was it your doing?”

_“What are you talking about?”_

“My transfer.”

_“Ah, that. No.”_

“But you knew about it.”

_“I was consulted.”_

“So you did have something to do with it?”

_“Not in the way you’re thinking.”_

“And what way is that, Admiral? You’re still disappointed in me.”

_“I do think you can do better for yourself, if that is what you are referring to. But, in this instance, you were transferred because of your job, and nothing else.”_

McGee frowned. “I don’t understand.”

_“You were chosen because you are good at what you do, Timothy. Now, I have work to do. I will speak to you later.”_

His father ended the call before McGee could ask any more questions. He frowned at his phone. He had no idea what to do with the information he gained. He picked up the single sheet and read the words again.

_Detective Timothy McGee,_

_You are hereby transferred to The Council with immediate effect. You are ordered to report to the Council House on 1 May 2006 at 08:00 and to await your new orders._

_T. Fornell_  
_First Beta_

McGee placed the letter on the desk and leaned back in his chair. He wanted to be upset about the transfer, but he also knew that something like that wasn’t done on a mere whim. If his father wasn’t involved, he was chosen because of his work and if that was the case he would be a fool not to accept it. But, it wasn’t as if he had a choice in the matter. He could resign, but he loved doing his work. McGee took a deep breath and got to his feet. He needed a box. It was time he packed up and start a new chapter in his life.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Washington D.C.**

Tony looked around the side of the building for a quick peek before he darted back and leaned against the brick wall. He took out a small book with a pencil and closed his eyes. He found his center and when he opened his eyes again, he started to sketch. Tony grinned. He loved doing this. He took his time and only closed the book when he was satisfied with his effort. He placed the book and pencil back in his pocket and then stepped out of the alley-way. He grinned as he made his way over to the deep red 308GTS Ferrari that stood parked right in front of the fire hydrant. He knew it wouldn’t be there for long and that was one of the reasons he decided to sketch it as quickly as possible before it got towed. Tony took out his miniature sketchbook and looked at the latest sketch with a critical eye. He’d done a good job, but then on the other hand, this sketch was sort of a cheat. It wasn’t the first time he’d sketched a Ferrari, but he loved the car, so he couldn’t help himself. He grinned again and walked away just as the police tow truck pulled up. He was glad it wasn’t him that had to go and bail his car out. With a whistle he walked off. He didn’t notice the shadow that peeled away from the building and followed him close.

He crossed the street at the intersection and made his way down the block. He shivered as he stepped through a warding spell and rubbed the goosebumps on his arms. “Fucking spells,” Tony mumbled. He walked until the middle of the block and reached the non-descript door. He knocked once and stood back. Tony looked up at the camera and managed not to make a rude sign. The magnetic lock released the door and it swung open. He stepped into the darkened hall. He rubbed at his arms again. Tony hated this place. He hated it for what it was, but more important, he hated what it did to him.

“You’re late.”

“So, sue me.” Tony smirked. He made sure the mask of boredom was firmly in place as he turned to face the man behind him. He managed not to flinch when he saw the Glock pointed at him. He hated the supernatural, but he hated humans more. Especially ones like the man before him. It made him wish he could rather deal with revenants and goblins. They might stink, but at least you always knew what you got yourself into. Humans – they just lie. Tony raised his hands. “Is that really necessary?”

“You tell me, you’re the smart one.” The man grinned, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes and he made no attempt to lower the weapon.

Tony managed to shrug. “I would then say it’s not, but since this is your party, you can do what you want. I just have to tell you, I’ve got other things to do, so can we get on with this?”

“You’re really fucking arrogant.”

“I’m a teenager, what did you expect?”

The man snarled and closed the distance between them. “I’m getting tired of your attitude.”

“And yet, I’m the best there is.”

“That still doesn’t make you indispensable. Maybe you should remember that.” He finally lowered the pistol.

“And maybe you should remember that _your_ boss does think I’m indispensable. He knows my value.”

The man lifted his hand with the weapon again and pressed it against Tony’s chest. “Do you have it?”

Tony stood his ground. “Where’s my money?”

The man indicated to a large duffel next to the wall. “It’s all there.”

“Good.” Tony slowly reached into his pocket and removed a single envelope. He handed it over to the man.

“Is this it?” He sounded doubtful.

Tony rolled his eyes. “What did you expect?” He shook his head. “No, don’t answer that.” Tony took a deep breath. “Your boss wanted exactly what is in that envelope. I’ve delivered it and now I’m leaving. He turned and walked towards the bag. He hated turning his back on the man, but he would not show any fear. The sound of a firearm cocked made him go still. Tony slowly looked back over his shoulder. Once again, the large pistol was pointed at him. “What now?” He managed to sound bored.

“It first needs to be authenticated.”

Tony couldn’t help but to laugh. “Dude, you do realize it’s a fake. How the hell do you want to authenticate a fake?”

The man cocked his head. “I’m just following orders. You will stay here, until it’s done.” He used the weapon and indicated to Tony to move to the other side of the room. “Sit.” He waited until Tony followed the order before he barked out a name and a skinny guy came running. The man handed the envelope to the guy and send him off. He turned to face Tony. “On the one hand, I hope you did a good job, but on the other hand, I would like to shoot you. Really, I would.”

Tony remained silent and looked on as the man took the other chair. He placed the Glock on the table between them. Tony leaned back against his chair. It seemed like he had no choice, he would have to wait. He closed his eyes.

“What’s so special about it?”

Tony opened his eyes. “About the stamp?”

“Yeah.”

Tony sighed. “It’s a stamp from 1851. It’s called the Hawaiian Missionary stamp as it was used by American missionaries on the island to write letters to their people here in the US. The stamps were crudely printed and not of a good quality. There are only about sixteen stamps in existence.” Tony shrugged. “Sorry, my mistake. There are seventeen stamps in existence.”

“What’s it worth?”

“A used stamp, around two-hundred-and-twenty-five thousand dollars. That one – around seven-hundred-and-fifty thousand.”

“And you copied it?” The man sounded skeptical.

“I did.”

“How old are you again kid?”

“Old enough.” Tony kicked the bag. “Can I count my money?”

The man shrugged. “Sure, but it’s all there.”

Tony ignored him as he got to his feet and retrieved the bag. He heaved it up and removed the money from it. There was fifty-thousand dollars. Enough to keep him going for a while. At least to get him a roof over his head. Some of the good drugs to keep him sane and not to land him up in hospital like a few months ago. A small smile appeared on his face as he thought of the vampire that helped him. He still had no idea where she came from. But, that didn’t matter not now. Now it was time he moved on.

Tony nearly jumped out of his skin as the man’s phone rang. He looked on as the man picked up the Glock and pointed it at his head. Tony swallowed hard. It seemed he had to get out of here. His eyes darted around, looking for a way to escape. Slowly he started packing the money up as he tried to remain calm. If pushed came to shove, he would leave the money behind, but he’d put in too many hours just to leave with nothing. Tony zipped the bag shut just as the man ended the call. His gaze remained on the gun. The man removed his finger from the trigger and placed it on the table.

“It seems like you live to see another day.”

Tony swallowed and nodded. He found himself grinning. “Well, then I’ll be off. As I said, I’ve got things to do.”

He picked up the bag and headed to the door. It felt as if it took him hours to reach the door. He reached out and pushed it open. The sun shone down on his face and he had to squint for a moment or two. He stepped out of the building and only breathed again as the door swung shut behind him. Tony’s hand trembled as he gripped the bag with his pay harder. Without looking back, he walked away from the building. This time he didn’t even complain as he walked through the warding and disappeared around the corner.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

“What do you mean he’s gone?” She hissed, her split tongue protruded between her lips as her eyes glowed yellow.

The man before her fell to his knees. “He just disappeared. The one moment he was there, the next he was gone, just gone!”

The lower level deity grew larger. “You had one job to do. Kill the human. He’s even less than a man, a mere boy – a teenager, and now you’re telling me he disappeared!”

She darted forward and hissed again as the acrid smell of rank piss assaulted her senses. With great speed she changed form and the large king cobra sank its fangs deep into the quivering man’s neck. She transformed back into her human form as the man stopped breathing. She was not impressed. As Nāgini, she was not accustomed to failure and the boy getting away – that could only be described as a failure. She hissed again. It would not happen again. Even if it meant dealing with the problem herself.

She gracefully walked over to the altar set up on the side of the room. It was unusual for a deity like herself to worship someone else, but in this instance, it was needed. She still couldn’t believe that the boy managed to get away from them. And not once, or twice, but three times. The first time she had to put it down as being dumb luck. He’d stumbled into the Dragone district. That meant that the trace spell she had on him disintegrated as he entered through the magical wards surrounding the district. They had luck in picking him up outside the district and were right there when he was taken to the human hospital. But there he managed to slip away. Not even the ER personnel knew where he disappeared to. And now this last time. He was right under their noses. She’d received information that he would be conducting a business deal and she had someone waiting for him outside, but then he apparently turned the corner and poof, he was gone. She screamed out of frustration.

Her boss counted on her and he wasn’t a very patient man. He might be human, but he was the worst kind of monster she knew. She lit the scented candles and knelt down. She chanted softly, her body swayed from side to side. She breathed deeply and as the entity behind her appeared she lowered herself to the floor. She knew she was taking a huge risk, but she valued her own skin far too much to fail.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Washington D.C. – 2018**

Tony sighed as he stepped out of the airport and into the summer sun. He couldn’t believe that he was finally back. It had been far too long. He took a step forward and groaned as his left leg refused to obey the instinctive command from his brain to get in gear. He halted and rubbed his thigh with deep hard strokes. “Come on,” he gritted through his teeth. After what felt like hours the muscles relaxed and he could move again. Tony couldn’t help but to lean heavily on the cane. He was not even thirty years old and he walked like a man of a hundred. Tony took a deep breath as the rage inside of him threatened to bubble to the surface. Shouting and throwing stuff around weren’t going to help. He should know, he had done it before.

Tony followed the queue and waited his turn to hail a cab. He’d managed to make reservations at the Hay-Adams hotel and he couldn’t wait to get up to his suite and rid himself of the grime of traveling over six hours. Someone brushed past him and instinctively he grabbed hold of the arm. A teenager looked up at him. Tony grinned. “You’ve got some nimble fingers there, but not quick enough. Hand back my stuff and I’ll let you go. If not, I’m willing to make a scene.” Tony held his breath he didn’t want to make a scene. He would rather stay under the radar and do his thing. No one needed to know he was back in the city, especially not the police.

“I ain’t done nothing, man,” the teenager mumbled as he shuffled from foot to foot.

“First of all, ain’t is not a word. And, secondly, yes. You have done something. You pick pocketed my wallet and my phone. Now, give it back, or I will scream bloody murder.”

“Bloody murder?” The kid shook his head. “And you’re the one telling me ain’t isn’t a word. What about bloody murder? What are you, a fucking Brit?”

Tony huffed. “Do I sound British to you?” He pulled the kid closer to his side and made them both stand next to the wall. “Last chance, kid. Give me back my stuff, or else.”

The boy laughed. He shimmered and before Tony could react the boy changed into a small petite girl and then she screamed.

“Shit!” Tony let her go and moved away. Already people around them moved closer. “I will find you and I will pull your wings out one by one!” Tony jumped to the side as a large man with the looks of an ogre stormed him. “Fucking fae, I hate you. All of you!!!” Tony hobbled away, shoving a few men away and even landing a blow on a man’s nose. He ducked as the man took a swing back. Unfortunately, the guy behind Tony didn’t duck in time. When the fist fight erupted in all earnest, Tony got away. Luckily, there was a cab right next to him and without looking left to right, he got in at the back. Once again, he was grateful that he traveled without luggage. He leaned back against the seat and took a calming breath. He should’ve known the nymph would change appearance. They were sneaky that way, but he thought he had everything under control, but he didn’t and now he was minus his wallet and his phone. It was an inconvenience, one that would be rectified soon enough, but still and inconvenience he shouldn’t have to deal with.

“Adams hotel.” Tony looked out of the window as the moved past the crowd. It seemed like airport security had everything under control. The scoundrel that took his things was nowhere in sight.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

“We got a lead, Boss.” McGee stepped into Gibbs’ office with a frown on his face. It has been a long day and with the sun already down, he had a feeling the night was going to be even longer.

“You don’t look happy about it, McGee.” Gibbs stepped away from the window and moved over to his desk. He pushed his own dark thoughts down.

“It’s because from whom it came, Boss.”

“And?” Gibbs had to ask when the younger man kept quiet. Even after twelve-years of working together, McGee still had to be prompted most of the times to share information. But, Gibbs knew it was only towards him that McGee acted like this. In other situations, McGee had no problem in taking the lead. He was a brilliant investigator.

“Sorry, Boss.” McGee cleared his throat. “I’ve tracked down Merkel. He gave me the information.”

“Merkel? Like in the troll?” Gibbs was impressed.

“Yes, the troll.” McGee dragged his hand over his head. “We both know that Merkel isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but I have a feeling he shouldn’t even be in the shed, Boss. He came back to D.C. because of coffee.”

Gibbs growled. “There’s nothing wrong with coffee, McGee or are you calling me dumb as well?”

McGee blanched. “No, Boss. That’s not what I’m saying. He’s not dumb because of the coffee, except that he is.” He held up his hands as if he surrendered. “Let me explain.” McGee gulped. “Merkel loves coffee. I think it must be a troll thing, because I’ve never heard of a troll that doesn’t like coffee, but he takes it way further than that. In any case, he’s part of a loyalty program at his favorite coffee house, but then he realized when he ran away, that he’d be losing out on the loyalty points and that’s why he came back. He took the chance in getting arrested for loyalty points, Boss. And the most you can get? A specialty grande sized coffee of your choice. Nothing else.”

Gibbs couldn’t help to snort. “That’s Merkel. So, what did he have to say?”

“DiNozzo is back in town.”

“What?” Gibbs head snapped up and he stormed around the desk. “Is he sure?”

“As sure as a troll can be about something like this, Gibbs.”

“Does he know where DiNozzo is?”

McGee shook his head. “That’s all he knows, but he’s willing to find out.”

Gibbs shook his head and balled his fists. “Let me guess. He’s willing to help if we’re willing to overlook his own crimes?”

“You’ve got it in one, Boss.” McGee took a seat. He knew Gibbs by now. The dragon would pace while he thought things through. It suited, him. When Gibbs thought, every aspect of the case was looked into. They took apart every detail, it didn’t matter how small it was. And only then, when Gibbs was satisfied that they would benefit from the situation would he go over into action.

“Give him immunity. Let him do his thing.”

“What?” McGee got to his feet. “Wait, what?” He couldn’t help to repeat himself. “What just happened?”

Gibbs had turned away and stared out of the window. “Just do it, McGee.”

“No, no. I’m sorry, but no.” McGee closed the distance between them. “I’ve been working with you for the past twelve years. Never in those twelve years have you ever reached a decision without going through everything we’ve got at least three times. Now, you’ve reached a decision and my chair isn’t even warm yet.”

“There’s nothing to hash over, McGee. Let Merkel get what he can. We’ll grant him immunity.” Gibbs’ voice sounded hollow in his own ears.

“No.” McGee shook his head. Before he could utter another word, he found himself slammed into the wall.

“Are you questioning me, McGee?” Gibbs hissed. He could feel his skin ripple beneath his clothing as his dragon clawed to come out. His hands changed to claws, his long nails ripped the younger man’s shirt pinned before him.

McGee squirmed. He could feel the blood oozing from the puncture wounds in his shoulders. But, before he could speak up, someone stepped into the room and pulled the Alpha off him. McGee’s knees buckled as the claws ripped free.

“Get out of here, Timothy.” Fornell’s voice sounded through the silent room.

McGee nodded and turned.

“McGee?”

He turned back.

“Let Abby look at those wounds for you and keep Merkel in custody. We’ll talk about this later.”

McGee could only nod again. His legs shook as he made his out of the office. He felt numb as he walked away. Never before had he experienced the Alpha Dragon in such a mood.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

“When was the last time you took to flight?” Fornell asked as McGee left the office, the door shut behind him. He poured two tumblers of bourbon and passed the one to his friend. For the millionth time he was sorry about the fact that dragons couldn’t get drunk. It would’ve been the perfect opportunity to get shit faced.

“Drink.” He pushed the glass into Gibbs’ hands when the male remained unmoved. “Gibbs.” He tried again.

“Is McGee all right?”

“He’ll be fine. Between Abby and Jimmy, they’ll patch him up.” Fornell took a sip of his own drink. “You haven’t answered my question.”

“Because I don’t know when the last time was.”

Fornell placed his drink down and walked over to the large French doors. He pushed them wide open and stood in the middle. “Well, what are you waiting for?” He said it with a grin.

“You willing to fly with me?”

Fornell couldn’t resist, but he walked back to his friend and cuffed him at the back of his head. “That’s for being an ass. Now, come. It’s a nice night outside. Let’s go.”

Gibbs rubbed the back of his head. “I deserved that.” He placed his glass down and made his way over to the opened doors. “It’s seventeen years today.”

Fornell placed his arm around his best friend. “I know, Jethro. I grieve with thee.” He hugged his friend and then changed form. As he took to the sky, he roared and when the deep roar of his Alpha sounded up behind him, he made a loop and then glided next to his best friend. Together they soared through the midnight sky.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Tony sat with his legs up against the balcony banister and looked out at the city beneath him. He sighed with content. It was good to be finally home. Although, he could’ve done with not being pickpocketed earlier. At least he’d managed to sort that out. He’d also made time to stop at an old friend and got a dual protection charm from her. It should help against people with long fingers and warn him against imminent danger. It was handy to know a powerful witch or two.

He looked up at the full moon and a shiver passed through him. It was as if he was supposed to see something, but the only thing his brain registered was the moon. He knew about the stories of dragons and their ability to influence people through the full moon, but since dragons didn’t exist, he didn’t believe that shitty story. The werewolf stories were much more believable, in fact, they were a reality. He shook his head. He shouldn’t have thought about dragons. It made the memories in his head rush to the surface and he swallowed hard. He wasn’t going to think about that. He wasn’t.

Tony pushed to his feet. When his leg refused to move, he screamed out of frustration. He hated the fact that he couldn’t walk properly. Sometimes he couldn’t help but to wonder if it was worth the while to have kept on living. He massaged his leg and as the muscles relaxed he hobbled inside. He wanted to take a quick shower, but a long soak in the hot tub sounded better by the second. Tony started to undress as he made his way over to the bathroom. He stood naked in front of the full-length mirror and looked at his body. His fingers traced the scars on his abdomen down to the middle of this upper thigh.

“I should’ve died that day.” He whispered the words before he turned away and filled the tub. Tony kept himself busy with the mundane task, but even if the attempt on his life happened twelve years ago, he could still remember each agonizing second in detail.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

_**Washington D.C. – 2006** _

_Tony dumped the money he made into a larger bag and started piling his clothes on top. Something at the back of his head told him to get out and do it fast. He’d learned early in his life to listen to what his subconscious told him. This time there was no difference._

_After he made sure he had everything he needed he left. The rest of the stuff in the room he didn’t care about and he knew by nightfall the room would’ve been ransacked by the various species that loitered around. As he exited the building he looked right and left before he quickly made his way across the street. His backpack was strapped securely, and the duffle bag was heavy, but not so heavy to burden him in any way. Tony walked briskly for a few blocks before he hailed a cab. He got off at Union station and went into the building. From there he exited on the other side, took a second cab and headed across town. He walked another three blocks before he got into his third cab and then headed to the airport. By that time, he’d already booked different tickets under different names. Tony was grateful for his length and with the scruffy look he had going, he looked older than his seventeen years and no one would question him why he travelled alone._

_Tony arrived in San Francisco approximately five hours later. His timing was great and with the busy airport, he disappeared quickly within the crowds. Once again, he used different cabs before he ended up back at the airport and booked into the Millwood Inn for the night. Tomorrow he would move again. The nagging feeling was still with him, but this time he put it down to being over tired and in dire need of some drugs. Tony knew it was stupid of him to continue to use, but since his last scare he was more careful and now that he had the money he would be able to buy some pure shit. It meant he would be able to use a bit less and experience a better high. Well, that’s what he believed in any case._

_He made sure that he had a knife tucked into his boot and enough cash on him before he exited the hotel again. Tony walked away from the airport, heading deeper into the city itself. Soon the buzz of the nightlife gave way to something more sinister. The streets became narrower and the smells sharper. Tony grinned when he saw the ghoul on the corner. He was dressed in a human way in some dark sneakers, ripped jeans and a T-shirt that really couldn’t be called that anymore. Tony looked around before he crossed the street. He walked at a slow pace and passed right next to the ghoul. He didn’t say a word. He knew with the ghoul’s heightened sense of smell he’d be able to pick up that Tony used. It worked as the ghoul called him back not even three steps away. Tony turned and stood his ground._

_“You want to score?”_

_Tony shrugged. “It depends, is it good?”_

_The ghoul huffed. “I only sell the good stuff.”_

_Tony closed the distance between them and reached for his pocket. He took out a hundred. “Only the best.”_

_“For that, definitely only the best.”_

_They concluded the transaction quickly and Tony moved away. He wanted to use, but still had to be patient at the same time. He took a scenic route back to the hotel. Except, he never reached the hotel._

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Tony gasped for breath as he burst through the water. He’d tried to keep his breath for as long as possible, but even in the attempt to deprive himself of oxygen the memories of that night didn’t stay away. Tony coughed, the water streamed down his face and he wiped his hand over his face to clear his eyes.

“Fuck!” He slammed with his hand on the water, splashing it over the rim of the tub. Tony pulled his legs up to his chest and hugged his knees. It seemed the only way to get through this night was to deal with the memories. He rocked himself as he closed his eyes.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

_He became aware of the Shadow as he crossed the street. He was about two blocks away from his hotel and the feeling of unease he’d been experiencing before was back in full force. Tony quickened his pace. The Shadow kept up with him with ease._

_Shadows were different from other supernatural creatures. They had a real name, but Tony never bothered to learn what it was. To him, they were Shadows. And Shadows were bad. They looked like the Dementors from the Harry Potter books and were just as evil. Although JK Rowling denied it, it was widely speculated that the Dementors were indeed based on the Shadows. Once they got hold of your scent they don’t lose it – never. They would hunt you to the end of the world and back. They were also mercenaries for hire and unless you as their intended victim can double the price on your head, they will hunt you down. Tony had no idea who placed the Shadows onto him, but he knew he had to get away._

_Tony looked around him and spotted a group of rowdy youngsters coming from the front. He darted forward, pushed one of them to the ground and as they tumbled over one another, he fell with them in an attempt to blend his scent. They were yelling and laughing and for a moment he wished he could be as carefree as them. He rubbed up against two guys and managed to get out of the light coat he had on and left it behind and then ran like hell._

_He had thought he’d made it, but he was wrong. As he turned a corner deep in the city, far away from his hotel he looked back and when he turned to face forward it was too late. Tony screamed, although he knew no one would help. He struggled, but the grip the Shadow had around his waist squeezed the air from his body. The world turned gray and for a moment he thought about the past, then he knew nothing more._

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Tony shouted out of frustration. The water around him had gone cold. With stiff limbs he got out and grabbed the towel from the rack. He tied it around his waist, not even bothering to dry himself off. He limped heavily towards the bed and sat down. Tony lowered his head in his hands. He sobbed.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

_He became aware of his surroundings at the same time something hot sliced into his abdomen. Tony thrashed and screamed as he tried to get away from the excruciating pain, but nothing helped. The pain continued on and on without a moment’s respite. He passed out again, the last thing he remembered was a singsong voice telling him he would suffer some more._

_Tony had no idea how much time had passed before he awoke again. His body throbbed, but the searing heat he felt the previous time was absent. He looked around. He was spread out on what looked like a wooden cross, naked as the day he was born. A crude bandage covered his abdomen and he could smell his own blood as well as see it through the dirty rag. He had a feeling that the only reason he was bandaged up was to keep him from bleeding out too soon. Whoever had him, wouldn’t care if he died of an infection. Tony swallowed. His throat was raw and the longer he remained awake, the more intense the pain became. He tried to breathe through the pain, tried to put it out of his mind, but it didn’t help. A whimper escaped from his lips and at the same time something moved in the corner._

_“No,” he whispered as the Shadow moved closer. He tried to move away, even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to get away. Tony yanked at the cuffs that kept him pinned down. He could smell the stench that emanated from the Shadow. It seemed it was true, they did feed on decayed flesh._

_The Shadow came to a halt right in front of him. It stuck out its bony finger and pushed it into the filthy rag that covered Tony’s wound. Tony tried to remain stoic, but he was not a hardened soldier, still a mere boy in many ways and he screamed. He begged as the tears rolled down his face. Bile pushed up in his throat and before he could turn away he vomited. If he wasn’t in so much pain, he would’ve laughed. It seemed like even Shadows hated vomit._

_Tony’s breath hitched. He shivered from head to toe. Just as he tried to say something snarky, a door he didn’t notice before opened. He squinted as the harsh light penetrated his eyes. A figure moved towards him. Tony frowned. He could see the person moving, but he couldn’t hear it. He frowned. With the harsh light, he wasn’t able to make out the true form and had no idea what he was dealing with. Tony gasped for air as a cold hand wrapped around his neck. A hissing sound made him aware of what he was dealing with and he lost control over his bladder. Fear poured from him as the Nāgini leaned in._

_“I love playing with my food.” She hissed again and her forked tongue licked at his cheek._

_Tony couldn’t find the words to respond. He wanted to beg, but nothing came out. She spoke up again._

_“You made a fool out of me. You will suffer for that. And only when I’m satisfied that my honor has been restored will I let you stop breathing. Until then, your suffering belongs to me.”_

_A knife appeared in her hand and as she pushed the blade into his flesh, she leaned in and opened her mouth. Pain erupted again. Not only from the stab wound, but also from the bite wound in his neck. He’d thought he would die, but it would’ve been too easy. Nāgini had the ability to bite without releasing their venom into the victim’s bloodstream. She was toying with him and enjoying every second._

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

He landed hard on his knees. The jolt of pain ripped him from the memories that threatened to consume him. He couldn’t take it. It hadn’t been this bad since the first two years after the attack. He’d thought he was over it, but it seemed coming back to D.C. didn’t mean that the past would stay where it was.

Tony craved for a hit. To feel the rush in his blood as the chemicals took over his body and made him fly. For a time after the attack, when he was in the hospital, he blamed the drugs. If he hadn’t gone and tried to score, he would’ve been safe. Except, he knew it didn’t work that way. The Shadows would’ve found him. It didn’t matter where he was. Tony’s fingers found the scar on his thigh again. He blinked and was back in the past.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

_She played with him. It didn’t matter how much he pleaded, she didn’t care. He tried to ask why? Tried to understand what he had done, but she never told him much. Only that it was his time to die. Sometimes she sounded clear of mind, other times she spoke in riddles and even as he tried to understand what she said through the pain, nothing made sense. As a demi god she had the ability to get into his dreams, to keep him awake when he wanted to sink into the blackness that threatened to overtake every inch of him, but she didn’t allow it. Instead, she made sure he saw how she would use her knife to skin him, layer upon layer. She would flicker her tongue in and out as she concentrated to take him apart. When she realized that his abdomen wouldn’t bear the damage she inflicted anymore, she moved on. He didn’t know why she picked his left leg, but she did. He’d seen his own muscles as she skinned him. He saw them contracted in spasms as she nicked them with the blade. By this time, he had lost the ability to talk, his mind threatened to give way, but something stopped him. Something stopped him from tumbling over the edge. He just didn’t know what it was._

_Tony had no idea how many days had passed since the Shadows grabbed him from the street. He didn’t even know if it was day or night outside the hell he lived in. He could no longer feel anything and he had a feeling that the end was near and he welcomed it with open arms._

_But, then something changed. The Shadows fled. There wasn’t a better word to describe it. Even the Nāgini who stood before him, ready to strike her next blow hissed and took a step back. Tony sensed someone else in the room with them. A being, filled with power, radiated white and lit up the whole darkened room. Tony squinted, his eyes not used to the bright light. He couldn’t see properly, but it looked like a man in the middle of the light. Tony frowned. It was a normal man, but before he could even think of asking what the being was the light surrounding the figure erupted. Tony felt the power in the smallest molecule of his body and then it became dark again. And with the darkness came silence and peace._

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Tony awoke, stretched out on the plush carpet in the large bedroom. His body ached with tension and the fact that he’d spent so much time on the floor. His eye caught the alarm clock and he was amazed to find that he had managed to get some sleep and that it was almost six in the morning. He gingerly got to his feet and rubbed at his thigh, knowing that without warming the muscles up he wouldn’t get far. He thought back at what had happened, but this time he stayed in the present.

When he woke up again after the mysterious blinding light drove away the shadows and the Nāgini he was in the hospital and from what he learned he’d been there for almost three weeks. They didn’t think he would make it. He himself wasn’t happy that he did survive, but with each passing day he got stronger and another two weeks later he left the hospital on crutches.

The police had tried to ask him plenty of questions, but he didn’t know anything, and what he did know he didn’t share. Not with anyone, but especially not with the police. He never told them about the blinding light. He never told them about the figure he saw or thought he saw in the light. He never stopped thinking of who saved him. Tony kept it vague and told them he didn’t know what had happened to the people who took him. Yes, he made his abductors humans, for one or other reason he decided to keep the fact that he was tortured by a Nāgini quiet. His gut told him not to say a word, and he normally listened to it.

When he hopped out of the hospital, he disappeared again. This time no one followed him. He got out of San Francisco. He travelled the world, spent most of his time in Europe and developed more of his specialized skills. He had a good time, even though he still got into trouble, but this time he was more prepared. He’d visited different witches, collected several potions to help him against the supernatural. He’d become a great marksman and could fight his way out of most situations.

He’d become a master in his field. He was recognized as one of the best forgers in the world and he could con anyone, anywhere. Now, he had been given a new opportunity. A job too good to say no to, and one, he knew would be a challenge, but a worthy one. It did mean he’d have to go back to the U.S., but when the job was done, he would be set for life. He would retire on a tropical island and enjoy life.

But first, first he had a meeting to attend. From there on he would start planning the biggest forgery of his life. The best thing about the job – it was for a good cause. Tony grinned. It was really good to be back in D.C.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Gibbs placed the frothy cup of coffee on McGee’s desk and stood back. When the younger man looked up, Gibbs spoke up quickly before he lost his nerve. “I’m sorry, McGee.”

McGee looked at the coffee and then at his boss. “Apology accepted, Boss.” He picked up the container and took a large sip. He couldn’t help to groan. It was perfect. “Thank you.”

Gibbs hummed and walked over to his own desk. “What did you find out about DiNozzo?”

McGee got to his feet and pulled a file from a stack of papers on his desk. “He booked into the Adams Hotel and hasn’t left his room as yet. We’ve managed to get some eyes on him. We’ll be informed the moment he leaves.”

Gibbs nodded. “What about Merkel?”

“We got the info without having to break a deal with the troll. He’s still safely locked up. Pissed that we didn’t want to go and buy him coffee for his loyalty points.”

“Good,” Gibbs responded. He was happy that McGee didn’t follow through and made a deal with the troll. He was wanted for some pretty heinous crimes against humans and other supernatural creatures alike. “Warrants?” He opened the file and took a look at DiNozzo’s photo. Gibbs sneered. He loathed the man and wanted nothing more than to crunch him under his foot until there was only a smear of blood left.

“Sealed and signed, except for your own signature.” McGee handed Gibbs two sets of papers.

Gibbs took them and nodded his head as McGee handed him a pen as well. With a mild flourish, he scrawled his signature down at the bottom of the warrants.

“Done.” He handed the documents back to McGee. “Get the team in place, we’ll pick him up ASAP.” Gibbs focused on the photo again. He’d hated this man for so long. Ever since they finally got the much-wanted link between the bastards who killed his second mate and child and DiNozzo. They’ve done their homework. Traced his footsteps all around the world and now he was finally back under the council’s jurisdiction and it was time for justice to be served. More important – revenge.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Tony entered the hotel restaurant and stopped dead in his tracks. He could sense the tension in the air and had a quick look around. Everything seemed to be in place, but something was off. He just couldn’t put his finger on it. He wanted to kick himself for leaving the protective charm up in his room. It would’ve indicated if there was indeed something wrong, or if it was only his imagination. For a moment he thought about leaving, grabbing breakfast someplace else, but he loved the salmon eggs-benedict they prepared here as it was one of the things he looked forward to in having again. Since it was still early, he got a table near the exit, but with the wall at his back. The décor had changed from the last time he had been here, but the setup remained the same. He ordered some good coffee and had a look at the breakfast menu. Tony smiled when he saw the dish still on the menu. With his mind made up, he placed the menu down on the table and started to do some people watching.

Tony frowned when a burly man walked into the restaurant. One would’ve had to be blind not to see that he carried a weapon. By the shades he had on and the thin white wire that curled around his ear Tony concluded that he had to be some sort of bodyguard. He made himself comfortable as the man swept the place in one glance. His gaze didn’t even linger on Tony for a fraction of a second. He lifted his left hand and talked in the small mike attached to his cuff. It seemed that he decided that the coast was clear. The guard moved to the side and Tony looked on as an even bigger guy came in and then two men. Tony’s eyes drifted up to their faces and then he wished it didn’t. He could feel the cold inside of him spread through his whole body. His hands trembled and he barely managed to put the cup back on the saucer without spilling the hot liquid over his hand. Tony swallowed hard. He wanted to get up and out, but found himself frozen in place. His breath hitched and Tony bit hard into his bottom lip as the first whimper threatened to escape from his lips. He prayed that they didn’t see him.

Tony closed his eyes as the two men walked past his table. He could hear them talking about some or other construction project. Their voices became softer as they passed his table and when he managed to open his eyes, he couldn’t see them anymore. Tony knew the restaurant had a private room and it seemed that they headed in there. That should’ve put him at ease, but it didn’t. In fact, it made him want to run out of the restaurant at full speed. It had been more than fifteen years since he last heard that voice or laid eyes on that man, but he would never forget him. He would never forget the fear that man brought out in him. That man was evil personified. Not even the worst possible supernatural creature was as evil as that human male himself, and Tony had firsthand experience with that evil.

“I’ll take that to go, please.” Tony informed the waiter as the man placed the food in front of him.

He’d just got to his feet when the door opened. Tony frowned and something clicked. It was a setup. He walked forward and before the newcomer could utter a word, Tony grabbed hold of him and hugged him close. “So glad you could make it.” Tony plastered a smile on his face that he hoped looked real and guided the man back to the table he just vacated. He ducked his head and leaned into the man who at this stage didn’t speak as yet. “Just play along.”

When the man gave a small nod, Tony’s shoulders relaxed. Tony called the waiter over and ordered two coffees. When the waiter stepped away, Tony reached over and grabbed the man’s hand and held it in his. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

The man opened his mouth and then closed it again.

“It’s so good to see you again.” Tony leaned forward. “I don’t know what you’ve got planned, but you’ll be walking into a trap.” Tony held up his hand when it looked like the man was going to object. “I know what I’m talking about. Please, don’t. Just forget about what you had planned. It’s not going to work.”

The man looked at him. “I need to make a call.” He didn’t look away.

Tony nodded. “I think that’s a good idea.”

The man took out his phone and pressed a single digit. The conversation was short and to the point. He ended the call and pushed his phone back in his pocket. “What makes you say it’s a trap?”

Tony snorted. He leaned back in his chair. “How many customers are in the restaurant?”

The man looked around. “About fifteen.”

“Seventeen to be exact.” Tony grinned as if he was told something funny. “How many women do you see?”

The man looked up and then frowned. “None.”

“What is the average age would you say of the men here?” Tony leaned forward.

“Thirty something.”

Tony nodded. “I know we’re almost in the city center, and there are a lot of businesses around. A lot of people doing business over breakfast, but what are the odds of there being not one female in this restaurant?” Tony cocked his head. “They are all armed.”

The man nodded. “I’ve noticed.” He cocked his head. “Why are you saying it’s a setup?”

Tony snorted. “Seriously?” He shook his head. “You’re a Kitsune. Your type are always in law enforcement and normally I don’t like hanging around while cops and the like walkabout, but I couldn’t let you go in there and get shot to smithereens.”

“You can see my form?”

Tony groaned. “I’m telling you I’m trying to save your ass from being shot to pieces, and you’re more worried about what I see? You need to get your priorities sorted.”

Timothy gaped and shrugged. “True, but then you still need to answer my original question. How do you know this is a setup?”

Tony growled. “I just do. Now, if I were you, I would abandon this bust, and try something else. Because this, this is a suicide mission.”

“Sorry, can’t do.” Timothy looked up as someone approached them. He reached out and before Tony could react, he had his hands in cuffs and a jacket which appeared out of nowhere was placed over his bound wrists. “You do understand, we can’t let you walk out of here, not without talking some more.”

Tony wanted to jump to his feet, but he knew making a scene wouldn’t help. “No good deed goes unpunished.” He plastered a smile on his face. “Then I’ll see you later.” He gently got up and walked with his escort out of the restaurant. On the inside Tony mentally kicked himself for getting involved. All that he got for his trouble was a pair of shiny handcuffs. He hated handcuffs. This kind, in any case.

“Watch your head.” His minder spoke up as he eased Tony into the back seat of a dark sedan. The man closed the door and walked away.

“Perfect.” Tony scowled. He had no choice, but to sit silently in the back of the car and look on as different supernatural beings, mixed with humans, spread out into what looked like some sort of formation before they entered the building. He knew the shit was going to hit the fan, but there was nothing he could do about it. Tony wriggled around and managed to extract the lock pick from the secret compartment at the bottom of his shoe. Within seconds he unlocked the cuffs and stuck them in his jacket pocket. Now he only had to get out of the car.

The perfect opportunity came along sooner than he expected. Tony ducked down when the first shots rang out. Every law enforcement officer still outside rushed in and it left Tony totally alone in the back of the car. Since the car wasn’t partitioned, he scrambled to the front and got himself out on the driver’s side. Tony kept low as he moved away from the continued shooting at his back.

Tony reached the side of the building and found himself in an alley. It was empty and rather than being picked up by a stray police officer or fed, he decided to take the less traveled road. Tony was halfway down the narrow street when shots behind him made him duck behind a large waste bin. He maneuvered his body so that he could see down the way he came from, but made sure that no one would easily spot him from his hiding spot. The shots had stopped, but he could hear raised voices and hurried footsteps approaching his way.

Tony shuffled deeper into the shadows. When he saw who came running down the alley, he whimpered softly, luckily the man didn’t hear. He looked on as the pudgy man stopped just short of the waste bin. He panted hard and from where Tony was hiding he could see and smell the sweat on the man’s skin. It made him shiver. He looked on as the man he hated with all of his heart edged closer to where he was hiding. Tony readied himself to fight. But then a shot rang out and the man started running again. He disappeared from Tony’s sight and Tony relaxed. Someone else ran past and he saw it was the Kitsune from the restaurant. Tony stayed put until the hurried footfalls disappeared. He crawled out from behind the waste bin and made his way out of the alley.

Tony took the next alley that travelled south and although he didn’t run, he walked at a fairly decent pace. The sound of a fist hitting flesh made him stop in his tracks and he slowly neared the corner from where he heard the sound. He took a quick peek. It was the Kitsune and one of the other men he noticed in the restaurant before. They were both trading blows and kicks. It looked like the Kitsune, although smaller in size, made out a decent fighter. Soon enough, he had the big man on the ground and his hands cuffed behind his back. Tony looked on as he straightened out and picked up his weapon where it had landed during the fist fight. The Kitsune reached for his phone when movement to Tony’s left side made him gasp for air.

Time stood still as Tony looked on as the pistol leveled out. It was pointed straight at the Kitsune’s head. There was no chance to shout a warning and Tony did the only thing he could think of. He started running at full speed towards the Kitsune. He made sure his body was between the shooter and the target. “Get down!” Tony screamed and as he heard the sound of the shot, he leaped forward. In that second, he prayed he was in time. He slammed into the Kitsune. Both of them went down hard. Tony felt his breath leaving his body as he connected to the ground. A burning pain at the back of his shoulder made him grunt in pain. Tony stayed down and prayed that the shooter didn’t come closer. Voices sounded from the other side and Tony heard the shooter run off. He tried to get up, but his legs buckled and he fell to the side. He screamed and reached for his shoulder. The wetness he felt told him all that he needed to know. Tony’s vision darkened, but he knew he couldn’t stay where he was. The voices were getting closer as he finally got to his feet. The Kitsune’s eyes were closed and Tony feared the worst. His hand trembled as he felt for a pulse and he sighed in relief when he found the steady thump underneath his fingers. It seemed like the Kitsune had hit his head against the road surface and was knocked unconscious. His time ran out and Tony had to get away. He got to his feet and this time he ignored the way his knees threatened to give way. Tony clutched his shoulder and then as fast as he could, he ran into the darkness. Behind him, he could hear the call for officer down and knew that at least the Kitsune would be helped. Tony disappeared into another side alley and kept on running. He had no idea how long he ran before his legs gave way and he made contact with the ground again. This time he didn’t get up.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Memorial Hospital – Washington D.C.**

“How long still, Jimmy? He needs to wake up. I need to know he’s all right.” Abby wrung her hands together as she paced the room.

“He’ll wake up when he’s ready, Abby. You know how tricky concussions can be. Let him rest. He needs it.” Jimmy took his friend by the shoulders and guided her to the chair next to McGee’s bed. Both friends had been at Timothy’s side since he was placed in the private room more than eight hours ago.

“Are you sure?” Abby sniffed, and took the handkerchief passed on to her.

“I’m sure. You’ve heard the doctor, Abby. Timothy needs rest and then he’ll be as good as new.” Jimmy assured her again.

Abby smiled. “Thank you, Jimmy.” She hugged him from her chair and then looked at her sleeping friend in the hospital bed. “Do you know what happened?”

Jimmy nodded. “Yes, Tobias filled me in while Gibbs shouted at the doctors and healers.” He sighed. “Timothy went after DiNozzo without backup. He found one of DiNozzo’s thugs in the alley and took him down. From there, they’re not sure what happened as they found McGee unconscious on the ground. The first officers on the scene reported a single shot fired, but it wasn’t fired from McGee’s firearm, nor from the thug he apprehended. They searched the area but couldn’t find anyone else.”

Abby frowned. “I heard something about blood?”

Jimmy hummed. “Yes, they found blood on Timothy’s shirt that didn’t belong to him.”

“Will I be testing it?”

“I don’t know. I assume so. You are the best forensic vampire out there, Abby.”

Abby nodded. “Then maybe I should go to my lab and start with the analysis.” She made a grab for her handbag.

“No.” A voice sounded from the door and Gibbs stepped through the door.

“But?” Abby placed her hands on her hips.

“No buts, Abby. You can do it tomorrow. Today has been far too long. When was the last time you fed?” Gibbs asked as he closed the distance between them and pulled her to his chest. He smiled as she sighed and almost snuggled against him.

“I’m all right.”

“That’s not what I asked, Abby.” Gibbs stroked her hair as Abby chirped with content.

Abby sighed against his chest. “Last week,” she whispered.

“Abigail.” Gibbs pushed her away gently. “That’s too long, you know that.”

Abby lowered her head. “I know, but…”

Gibbs shook his head. “No, Abby. You’ll go now and you’ll go and feed. Palmer will go with you.” He placed a kiss on the top of her head.

“What about McGee?” Abby asked softly.

“I’ll stay with him and if you do what I say, I’ll let you know the moment he wakes up.”

“Pinky swear?” Abby held out her right hand with her pinky extended.

“Pinky swear.” Gibbs curled his own pinky over his. “Go.” He indicated with his head to the door.

Jimmy took Abby’s hand and the two left the room, leaving Gibbs to keep vigil over their friend.

Gibbs dragged a chair closer and leaned with his hands on the bed. His young warrior did good today. DiNozzo escaped and so did their mysterious young friend, but they’ll find them soon enough. Especially the stranger. He had personally gone through the car the man escaped from and the man’s scent was firmly edged into his mind. He’d scented him where they found McGee, but that didn’t mean anything. McGee smelt like him, so not even he could tell if he was in the vicinity or not. But, now that he had his scent, he would find him anywhere. And it would be soon, he had a lot of questions to ask of him.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Hay-Adams hotel: The following day**

Tony leaned against the door as he finally closed it behind him. He had to wait almost a whole day before he could even consider getting back into the hotel and into his own room. His shoulder throbbed and he could feel the shivers run down his body as the fever settled in. He couldn’t take the chance to go to a hospital or doctor. They would’ve reported the incident to the police without even blinking an eye. That had left him two options. One, deal with the gunshot wound himself, or two, go to a healer.

Healers fucked like humans, they gave birth like humans and they died like humans, but that’s where the similarities ended. They didn’t look human, they had an ash-gray complexion, four fingers per hand, on all four of their hands, with three toes on each foot. Luckily, only two legs and two feet. They were almost elastic in nature and had the ability to stretch their limbs twice the length of their body. They were soft spoken, didn’t know how to swear, but totally selfish, which was strange if you took into consideration what they did for a living. You had to have money to see a healer. They only took cash, no plastic cards for them.

Luckily, Tony had cash on him. Not much, but at least enough to get treated. The fact that he spent the first eight hours hiding in a dirty waste bin, didn’t help with infection and now he suffered. The healer was of the opinion that he would make a complete recovery, if he took it easy. Tony had snorted at that instruction. He didn’t have the time to take it easy. He still had things to do, and already he’d lost too much time. Tony looked at the bed and then at the bathroom door. He had a choice to make. Take a shower, pack and leave, or take a nap, pack and leave, but there wasn’t time for both. Tony eyed the bed, stumbled forward and landed sideways on the bed. He was out for the count, even before his head touched the pillow. His body burned with fever and his breathing became shallow.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Dragon House – Washington D.C. : 2 Days later**

Abby waited patiently for Major Mass Spec and her other babies to do their thing as she tried to find a match for the DNA they took from the restaurant and various other places. So far, she’d managed to link several men of interest, all with rap sheets and outstanding warrants. She’d confirmed that DiNozzo himself was in the restaurant. Their forensics team picked up a .38 special with his fingerprints on it. The thug they had in custody was DiNozzo’s second in charge. Abby knew it was just a matter of time, before Gibbs broke him. No one could withstand Gibbs in interrogation. He wasn’t the Alpha Dragon for nothing.

Her computer pinged and Abby hopped to it. She frowned at the data displayed on the screen. “That’s not possible.” She turned and faced her babies. “We’re going to have to re-test this. And this time, no playing around, guys. This is serious.” Abby started to redo the tests. She concentrated so hard that she didn’t even hear the door to her lab open up. Only when someone spoke up next to her, and she nearly jumped out of her skin, did she notice that she wasn’t alone anymore.

“Damn it, Jimmy! You nearly gave me a heart attack.” Abby reached out and punched him on the arm with a fist. She hit him hard enough that he stumbled a step backward.

“Ouch, Abby.” Jimmy rubbed his arm. “That hurt.”

“Of course it hurts, mister, you nearly made me die.” Abby stood with her hands on her hips.

“Well, I didn’t mean it and you didn’t need to punch me so hard. Now I’m going to bruise again.” Jimmy rubbed the spot again.

“I’m sorry.” Abby lowered her head in shame. “I didn’t mean to hit you so hard, I was just scared.”

Jimmy smiled. “Apology accepted.” He grunted as she leaped into his arms and hugged him hard.

“I just wish McGee was here.” Abby sniffed.

“That’s what I came to tell you. He’s home.” Jimmy winced as Abby screeched before she jumped away and ran towards the lab door. “Come on, Jimmy, let’s go. We need to make sure McGee’s all right.”

Jimmy reached out and managed to catch her arm. “Steady, Abby. Tobias brought McGee home and just the ride from the hospital took it out of him. He’s resting again. So, let’s give him some time to settle in before we descend on him.”

Abby swallowed hard. “Will he be okay?”

Jimmy nodded. “He’s got a nasty concussion, some bruised ribs and I don’t think there’s a place on his body that isn’t aching, but nothing that a few days of rest won’t make better.”

“I understand.” Abby bit into her bottom lip. “Did you talk to him; did he tell you what happened in the alley?”

Jimmy shook his head. “No, by the time we got him into his bed, he was out of it. But, I did ask Tobias. And unfortunately, it seems due to his concussion, Timothy’s got some difficulty in remembering what happened. The doctors and healers are all positive that he will recover the lost memories, but you know as well as I do, concussions are weird. There is a possibility that he won’t regain those lost memories and then there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Abby sighed and nodded. “I understand. I just hope he remembers. I think it will drive him up the wall if he can’t remember it all. And you know how difficult it is to deal with a frustrated Timothy McGee.”

It was Jimmy’s turn to sigh. He knew just what Abby was talking about. He wanted to respond when his right pocket started to grow warm. Jimmy frowned as he reached into his pocket. He nearly dropped the stone that glowed blue in his palm.

“Jimmy?” Abby sounded amazed.

“Shit.” Jimmy nearly dropped the stone for a second time. “I need to go. I will see you later.” He turned on his heels and quickly ran out of Abby’s lab. He didn’t have the time to answer her. She would ask questions to which he didn’t have the answers. Not yet, in any case.

Jimmy ran full speed to the side of the mansion where their vehicles were parked. Without hesitating, he jumped into McGee’s Porsche Boxster, and sped off. He didn’t have time to explain and it wasn’t as if McGee would need the car right now. Jimmy pressed down on the gas and whooped as the car jumped forward with power. Luckily it was late in the afternoon, peak traffic had already past and he made it in record time to the Council House.

As the powerful car came to a halt, Jimmy wanted to kick himself, he could’ve apparated here, but now was not the time to dwell on that. Instead, he jumped out and used the entrance used by the Oracle and him. He didn’t look left or right as he made it into the Oracle’s sanctuary. He found the Mirror of Life in the middle of the floor. The surface rippled. “ _Aperio_.” He swiped his hand in an arc from right to left and looked on as the image in the mirror became clear.

What he saw made him stumble forward. He reached for his phone, but he had no idea on who to call or even where to go. Then he remembered his promise. A promise he made more than twenty-three years ago. Jimmy took his phone and pressed speed dial two. He closed his eyes as he waited for the call to be answered.

 _“Apprentice?”_ Gibbs sounded surprised.

“You had me promise that I would look out for him.” Jimmy could hear Gibbs breathe through the phone, but the dragon himself remained quiet. “Gibbs?” He had to get help. He had no idea how much time the boy, or should he say, the young man had. It had been years since he last saw him, he was no longer a boy, or a skinny teenager. He should’ve looked good, except that he once again looked like death warmed up.

_“How did you find him?”_

Jimmy found himself growling. “That’s not the question you should ask right now. You should ask, where is he? And the answer is, I don’t know. I need to scribe for him, but I need you to be here for me to do that. Your blood is the strongest blood out there, it’s the only thing I can think of using to get to him in time.”

_“Are you at the Council House?”_

“Yes, use the side entrance, and hurry.” Jimmy disconnected the call. He wanted to keep on staring at the reflection in the mirror, but he had things to prepare. Jimmy stepped away.

“What are you doing, Mage Palmer?”

Jimmy groaned. He should’ve known that the Oracle would be in the vicinity. The Oracle was always there. “I’m doing my duty, Oracle.”

“Your duty?”

Jimmy looked on as Ducky stepped in front of the mirror. “ _Obscuro_!”

“NO!” Jimmy shoved his mentor and best friend away. “NO!”

“Stop it, Mage Palmer, you have no right here. Did I not tell you before that you are meddling with things that do not concern you?”

Jimmy didn’t listen. Instead, he took position in front of the mirror and started to speak softly. He repeated the words over and over, his voice sounded stronger with each repeat. He had to find him. He would not fail in his task.

Ducky reached again for his young apprentice when a roar sounded up behind him. He turned and came face to face with the Alpha Dragon. He bowed as his friend changed into his human form.

“I am sorry, Alpha, now is not a good time. May I meet with you later today?”

Gibbs shook his head. “Did you close the mirror?”

Ducky frowned. “Yes, Apprentice Palmer overstepped his boundaries again. I still do not know how he knew the Mirror called, but I will find that out.”

“Mage Palmer was not overstepping his boundaries, Oracle. He’s acting on my instructions.”

Ducky frowned. “I don’t understand?”

“You don’t need to. Not now in any case. I will explain later. Now, I need Mage Palmer to do his job.”

“And just what job is that, Alpha?” Ducky tried to keep calm.

Something snapped inside of Gibbs. “To find my Mate!” He roared and the walls of the Council House quaked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Aperio = disclose, to view_
> 
>  
> 
> _Obscuro = conceal_


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

When the building stopped shaking, Gibbs turned away and paced the floor.

“Are you sure?”

Jimmy cringed at Ducky’s words. He had a feeling that wasn’t the right thing to ask, not now in any case. He moved closer to the mirror, further away from his mentor and Gibbs. He could feel the mirror as it pulsed behind him. He turned. The image he caught a glimpse of earlier, reflected again. Without thinking, he started chanting again. He had to get the connection stronger and then do the scribing spell. He could hear the Oracle and Alpha Dragon behind him, but he shut their words out. When the mirror turned white, he held his breath, when it turned yellow he chanted again, this time at a faster pace, his words sounded like the wind whispering through the grass. The mirror pulsed again, the surface rippled and then stilled.

Jimmy sighed. He had what he was looking for. The mirror had stabilized and now he could start the scribing part of things. He moved away from the mirror and gathered what he needed. He took a ceremonial dagger and blessed it with holy water. The bowl was forged out of copper and the lavender lined the bottom as if it was meant to be there.

Jimmy approached the two males. They were still arguing. He cleared his throat, but they ignored him. He tried to speak up, but they spoke over him. Jimmy fumed and with bravery he didn’t know he possessed, he stepped in between them, his back to his mentor. Before either of them could utter another word, he grasped Gibbs’ hand, turned it palm up and dragged the dagger across the skin. Blood flowed to the surface and he took Gibbs’ hand and made it into a fist.

“Squeeze.” He ordered and murmured the scribing words as the dragon’s blood mixed with the lavender. The small purple flowers turned white and he left the two men as he hurried over to the map of the city that was always spread out on one of the large tables. He gently stirred the white substance with his finger and then transferred it into a porcelain mortar and ground it to a fine dust with the pestle. Jimmy took the powder in the palm of his hand. Closed his eyes and blew. He could feel the power - his power - swirl around him and when it died down, he opened his eyes. He frowned. “The Hay-Adams hotel.” He looked up and saw the two most important authority figures in his life staring at him. One looked relieved; the other had an expression on his face that Jimmy couldn’t decipher.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Alpha.” Jimmy bowed his head, but his gaze lingered on the Oracle’s face.

“Thank you.” Gibbs turned and left quickly.

“Oracle?” Jimmy asked with fear in his voice.

Ducky shook his head. “You are no longer worthy the title of Apprentice.” He turned around and left, leaving a shocked Jimmy behind.

Jimmy’s legs buckled and he landed hard on his knees. In that single sentence, his whole world imploded around him.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Tobias handed the cup of weak tea to McGee and managed to hide his smile as McGee grimaced. He knew McGee would drink every last drop of the over sweet tea because Abby made it and brought it to his room. Abby was a disaster in the kitchen. If there was one entity capable of burning water, then Abby would be it.

He took pity on McGee and took the cup from him the moment Abby stepped out of the bedroom and before McGee could react, he tossed it out the opened window. Both grinned and McGee nodded his thanks.

“Abby told me our friend disappeared.” McGee spoke softly. He knew that if Abby heard that they were talking about the case she would flip out. He was supposed to take it easy and talking about the case was not taking it easy.

Tobias stretched his legs out in front of him and nodded. “When the fire fight broke out, he managed to undo his cuffs, got himself out of the vehicle and disappeared.”

McGee slowly nodded his head. “I had a feeling he wouldn’t hang around, but I thought it would take him longer to get away.”

“Apparently he’s good with cuffs. He even took them with him.”

That brought a smile to McGee’s face. “I still don’t know why he decided to help us.”

Tobias shrugged. “Maybe he was one of the thugs who got cold feet.”

McGee shook his head and then groaned. Even Kitsunes were not immune against concussion headaches. “He wasn’t armed.”

“Doesn’t mean he wasn’t part of the whole setup.” Tobias offered his counter argument.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Tell me something else.” Tobias got to his feet. “You’ve been a cop for over ten years and worked for Gibbs now for six, and then I’m not even throwing your age into the ring. So, why did you go down that alley without backup?”

McGee lowered his head with shame. “Because I didn’t think.”

“You’re right, you didn’t think. You do realize that Gibbs was ready to rip you a new one for your stupidity? But, then lucky for you, Gibbs got a mysterious call from Jimmy and he flew out of here as if his tail was on fire. The fact that he was on his way to check up on you, didn’t even matter.”

McGee frowned. “Jimmy?”

“Yes, that was strange for me as well.” Tobias took his seat again. He was never one to be still for more than a minute or two. “But, that’s not your problem. We need to focus on what you remember about what happened in the alley.”

“I’m not going to be a great help in that.” McGee sighed. “I can barely remember running into the alley. I know we went in. You and Gibbs were with me. We managed to round up the thugs in the restaurant, but then something went wrong and shots were fired. I remember seeing DiNozzo slipping out and I knew how Gibbs would feel if we lost him, so I followed.”

“And in the process, we nearly lost you.” Tobias lowered his head. “You mean a great deal to this team, Timothy and making a rookie mistake like that, it’s not acceptable.”

“Are you kicking me off the team?” McGee sounded deflated.

Tobias snorted. “Are you crazy? No, I’m raking you over the coals and telling you to be more careful. Please.” He reached out and placed his hand over McGee’s and squeezed it tightly. He smiled at the blush that appeared on McGee’s cheeks.

McGee swallowed and looked at their hands. He looked up and caught the dragon’s gaze on him. “I’ll try and I am sorry.”

“Good.” Tobias released Timothy’s hand and immediately missed the warmth. “Do you have any idea on how you landed face down in the alley?”

This time McGee shook his head gently. “I’m sorry, no. I can’t even remember that I took that thug down. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was cuffed with my cuffs, I wouldn’t have believed it.” He looked at Tobias. “Why are you asking?”

“Abby hasn’t told you?” Tobias asked, surprised.

“Told me what?”

“We found blood on your shirt that didn’t belong to you. That’s after there was a shot from the alley that alerted our people that there was someone down the alley. But, when they arrived there, it was only you and the cuffed suspect.”

“Someone helped me?”

Tobias shrugged. “We don’t know. Abby is still analyzing the blood. She said she’s having some trouble with her _babies_. The results she got were apparently impossible.”

McGee blushed as he yawned. “Sorry.”

Tobias smiled. “No need to be sorry. You’re still recovering. I’ll let you get some rest.” He stood up, but instead of stepping away from the bed, he leaned in and kissed McGee softly on the lips. He smiled as McGee blushed again. “I’m glad you’re all right, Timothy.” He turned and left a stunned McGee behind.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Tobias was still smiling when he closed Timothy’s bedroom door. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he took it out. For a moment he thought of ignoring it, not wanting to spoil the good mood he found himself in by talking to Gibbs. But, that’s something he could never do. “Gibbs?”

He managed not to trip over his own feet as his Alpha’s voice sounded through the phone. He blanched at Gibbs’ words. “I’m on my way.”

Tobias started to run. The nearest French doors were on the other side of the hallway. He approached them at full speed. He slammed into the door with his full weight, and took to the sky. Different thoughts raced through his mind, but he still couldn’t believe the fact that Gibbs’ had found his mate – his _first_ mate. It didn’t bother him that Gibbs mentioned it was a male. Dragons didn’t discriminate on the grounds of gender. If they loved you, they loved you. End of the story.

Tobias could still remember the day Gibbs met Shannon. He was head over heels in love with the redhead. And she, well, she was fiery. She kept Gibbs on his toes and he really had to prove to her that he was committed to her before she would even give him the day of time. Their courtship was long, but Gibbs loved every moment of it. He was the proudest dragon in the world when Shannon finally agreed to their bonding. There was one damping aspect to their bonding. It was clear that Shannon was not Gibbs’ first mate. Strangely, it was Gibbs, who had a problem with that. He even went as far as to make a vow that he would not look for his first mate, but then Shannon took him in hand and they never spoke about it again. Tobias knew Shannon made sure that Gibbs would accept his first mate into their relationship should he or she ever be found. And now, after twenty-seven years, it looked like it finally happened.

When Kelly was born, it was a joyous day for the whole pride. She was small with strawberry blond hair and green eyes. She had a few speckles across her nose and when she smiled, she melted every last dragon’s heart. Gibbs declared her his truthful heir, meaning that any other children he might have with a possible first mate would not take away her position as Gibbs’ oldest child and heir in every aspect of his estate, except title. Because, that was the one thing that not even Gibbs could give to Kelly.

Since dragons aged slowly, Kelly looked like an eight-year old girl when she and Shannon were slaughtered. Their deaths had nearly ripped the pride in half. Gibbs left immediately after he discovered their mutilated bodies and it was then that the Council stepped in. They started to rule, while Gibbs was set on vengeance.

Tobias smiled, even if he remained worried. He wondered how the Council would react when they heard the news. It seemed like interesting times lay ahead. He circled the hotel and landed on the roof. Gibbs was already there. Tobias frowned, his Alpha was still in his dragon form. Something wasn’t right.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Gibbs fumed. He hated working with most humans, they were slow on the uptake, smelled horrid and tasted nothing like chicken. And now, once again they showed how totally incompetent they were. He had demanded to see their guest list, but the human in front of him _only_ saw another man and therefore told him in no uncertain terms that unless he provided a warrant, he wouldn’t be granted access. It was a fuckup. He didn’t want to use his official credentials, the longer he could keep the Council out of this, the better. The fact that humans didn’t know that dragons existed, made things even more troublesome. His credentials didn’t mention the word dragon, it just said Supernatural Council. It also meant that he couldn’t play the _royalty_ card. In this instance, it would’ve been the perfect thing to do. From what he’d seen in the mirror, his mate’s life was in danger, he didn’t have the time, nor did he have the patience to go to every hotel room to see if he could find his mate. He needed another solution, and he needed it now.

When he’d exited the hotel, he’d vibrated with anger so much that he’d changed form. Luckily, the sidewalk was clear of pedestrians and no one got trampled on. He’d taken to the air as soon as his form settled and landed on the hotel’s roof. Gibbs looked on as his second in command took an air current down and glided in and landed. He didn’t need to be able to read Tobias’ mind to know his friend wondered why he didn’t change back. Gibbs sighed and as Tobias opened his mouth, he shimmered into his human form.

“They don’t want to give me access to their guest list.”

Tobias raised an eyebrow. “And I have to ask, how was that going to help you?”

Gibbs growled. “What else did you want me to do?”

“Can’t you sense him?”

“I’ve never laid eyes on him before in my life, Tobias. I’ve only seen him through a fucking mirror, how the hell did you want me to sense him!”

Tobias regarded his friend as he tried to remain calm. Getting worked up would not work, not in the way Gibbs was already hot under the collar. “Then I have to ask, how do you know he’s your mate?”

“For fuck sakes!” Gibbs roared and managed to breathe fire. It wasn’t something he did often, but he had absolute control. He stepped back and held up his hand to indicate to Tobias to wait as he tried to center himself. “It seems like I have some explaining to do.”

Tobias cocked his head. “It seems so indeed.” He walked to the side of the roof and sat down. His legs dangled over the edge.

Gibbs looked at his friend, sighed and then sat down next to him. They both stared over the edge at the number of people milling around on the ground. “You know why I started this special unit.”

“Yes, we’re hunting down Shannon and Kelly’s killers. And taking out other scum as we go along.”

“There’s another reason.” Gibbs straightened his legs, wiggled his toes and then let his legs hang down the side of the building again. “When I returned in ninety-five I walked in on Palmer viewing something in the Mirror. You know how I feel about that thing, but this time, I couldn’t get myself to look away. There was a boy, around six. Human. Even through that _unholy_ object there was something about him that screamed that I needed to protect him. My dragon made it clear that the boy was my mate. I felt it within me. I had to keep him safe. The urge was so huge that I cornered Palmer and _ordered, threatened_ him to do everything in his power to make sure he stayed safe.”

“And you made it your task to find him.” He didn’t comment on the boy’s age. A dragon would wait for as long as it was needed for its mate to mature before it would start courting. By that time, both parties were normally already known to each other and their friendship slowly developed into something more. Tobias felt sorry for Gibbs. Not knowing where his mate was and the fact that he was a mere boy must’ve made his dragon more agitated than normal.

“I did.”

Tobias nodded. “Well, then, let’s go and see if we can find him.” He moved away from the ledge and got to his feet. He grinned. “You do know the Council is going to have a field day with this.”

Gibbs’ eyes gleamed dark. “I will not tolerate their meddling, Tobias. Not on this.” He moved toward the stairwell. He frowned when he realized that his friend wasn’t following him. “What now?”

Tobias frowned. “Your mate is human.”

“I just told you that.” Gibbs became impatient.

“He can’t see your true form.”

Gibbs paled. He never thought about it. “I’ll speak to the Oracle.” He cringed at his own words. He and Ducky were not on good terms at the moment, but then the Mage had to understand, this was _his_ mate they were talking about. He wondered if Palmer might know. “Let’s go.” He didn’t wait, but descended the stairs back into the hotel. It was time that he found his mate.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

A low buzzing sound brought him back to the land of the living. For a moment Tony wanted to ignore it. His body still ached and his chest felt as if he had been pinned underneath a large boulder. He rubbed his chest and managed to turn on his side. He reached out and his fingers curled around the bauble that pulsed with light. He couldn’t even remember placing it on the bedside table. He knew he had to get up, that something was wrong, but he couldn’t find the energy to move beyond what he’d done already. His head felt heavy, but as the stone continued to pulse, he managed to get onto his feet. Tony could hear voices in the hallway. They sounded irritated and it scared him. One of the best features of the hotel was their thick walls, for him to be able to hear the voices meant that it wasn’t a normal everyday conversation.

Tony stumbled from the bed and managed to walk to the door like a drunkard. He placed his ear against the door, and although he couldn’t hear footsteps, he could hear the voices. He peeked through the peep hole and stumbled backwards. “Shit!” Adrenaline surged through his body as he recognized at least one of the men that stomped past his room. It was the same man who placed him in the back of the fed’s car. They found him and Tony knew he had to get away.

He stepped away from the door and gathered a backpack with one set of clothes, a jacket and a cap. He took his different passports and money. The rest of the stuff he’d had to do without. He nearly fell down as his vision turned gray, but he pushed through the dizziness and grabbed the high thread Egyptian cotton sheets and tied them together. He knew the suite beneath his was empty and he’d made sure to jimmy the balcony door for easy access. Without hesitating, he threw his roughly made rope over the side and tied it off. With unsteady legs, he climbed over the side of the railing and made his way down the sheet. He landed on the balcony and wobbled before he gained his feet again. Ideally, he would’ve tried to get the tied sheets off so that they didn’t know how he escaped, but he didn’t have much time so he left them hanging and entered the suite silently. Tony did take the time to jam the lock to the sliding door, hoping that it would take them some time to get access to the room, if they decided to take his way down. He would also take care of the magnetic lock on the door and hopefully that would delay them a bit longer. He pulled on his jacket and placed the baseball cap on his head. He slouched his shoulders and made sure that his limp was even more prominent as he exited the hotel room. Tony didn’t look up or down the hallway as he made his way to the stairs. He always had an exit plan, he only hoped that this time it would work. He rubbed at his chest again. It felt like the boulder was replaced by an elephant. Tony tried to take some deep breaths, but when it made him cough, he stopped trying to breathe normally. Instead, he concentrated on getting out.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Tobias had to physically restrain his friend when they found that his mate had disappeared. It seemed like he knew not only to tie some impressive knots, but also how to disable a magnetic key lock and then to fade into nothingness. It worried him what Gibbs’ mate could be involved in, but since he was a very sensible dragon, he didn’t bring it up. Not yet, in any case.

Now he found himself standing in the suite and something bugged him at the back of his mind, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Tobias kept an eye on Gibbs as he went through the man’s belongings he left behind. It was some expensive stuff, some brand new, other items older, but still in a very good condition. “You’re brooding again.” He looked up from where he placed yet another shirt to the side.

“Why is he running? From what? And why the hell is he bleeding!” Gibbs slammed his fists into the sliding door. The impact created a spider web pattern on the door.

“I’ll add that up then as well.” Tobias whispered the words to himself. When they couldn’t open the suite on the lower floor, Gibbs had kicked in the door, nearly taking it out of the frame. To say that management was unimpressed was putting it mildly. At least the owner of the hotel showed up, and since he was an elf, he immediately knew what they were and had no qualms in letting them search the hotel. Tobias turned and walked over to where Gibbs still stood. “We’ll find him.” He placed his hand on Gibbs’ shoulder.

“I want Abby to go through this suite with a fine-tooth comb. I want every speck of dust analyzed. We have to find him.”

“Abby is on her way.” Tobias cleared his throat. “You do realize that you’ll need to tell her.”

“I know.” Gibbs paced. “But I also know she’ll keep in quiet.”

“You’ll have to make it official.” Tobias delivered a head slap to the back of Gibbs’ head when the dragon growled at him. “Don’t get grumpy with me, Gibbs. You know as well as I do that you don’t have a choice in the matter. If the Council finds out what he means to you, without you making it official, they will do everything in their power to get him assassinated. They will not hesitate to send out their bloodhounds after him. You know how power hungry they are. The moment you claim your first mate, the power of the council decreases by more than fifty percent. They will do everything in their power to stop that from happening. You have to make the announcement. If something happened to him then, they’ll have to answer to you. Get him under your protection. Do it and make a decree that only the dragons can search for him. The Council will not be pleased, but since you’re the Alpha and he’s your first mate, there’s nothing they could do about it.”

Gibbs growled again. “You’re right, I know. I hate playing political games.”

“We both do.” Tobias turned. “What about Ducky?”

“What about him?”

Tobias sighed. “You do realize that I’ve known you long enough to know that things between you and the Oracle are not good. You’ve yet to tell me why, but when I add two and two, I do get to four and I’m certain that it has to do with your mate. I know Ducky is loyal to you. But, Ducky is the Oracle and he reports to the Council. Will he keep this quiet, at least for now?”

Gibbs cocked his head. “Abby is on her way.” He walked towards the door to open it up. He came to a halt. “As for Ducky.” He cleared his throat. “If he knows what’s was good for him, he’ll keep quiet.”

Tobias was shocked. He didn’t expect such an answer and he had no idea on how to respond to it. In the end he nodded his head and concentrated on the task on finding Gibbs’ mate.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

“Jimmy?”

Jimmy looked up from where he stood and smiled. “You’re looking better.”

“And you’re looking as if your best friend died. What’s wrong?” McGee made his way over to his friend and took a seat on the couch.

“In a way you could say he did.” Jimmy crossed his arms.

“What?” McGee rose. “Talk to me, Jimmy, what’s going on?”

“Let’s just say I was between a rock and a hard place and I chose the rock, not because I wanted to but, because I _had_ to, and that sounds bad, because it was for a good cause, or at least I think it was for a good cause, but now, now everything is messed up.”

“I think you need to start at the beginning.” McGee pulled Jimmy closer and made him sit on the couch. He took his seat next to him.

Jimmy sat with hunched shoulders and rested his arms on his knees. He stared out in front of him, not really seeing anything, but Ducky’s words kept on repeating in his mind. It kept on playing off against Gibbs’ face – that moment when he revealed what the man in the mirror’s reflection meant to him. Couldn’t Ducky see that he had no choice? He knew they were not to interfere with fate, but what choice did he have? They’ve been waiting for this for so long. And now, now it’s even larger than what they thought it would be. He couldn’t ignore it. It wouldn’t be right. Fate couldn’t be so cruel, could it?

“Jimmy, talk to me.” McGee nudged his friend in the side.

Jimmy sighed. He had no idea if he could tell McGee what was going on, but on the other hand it wasn’t as if he worked for the Council any longer. He swallowed at the hysterical giggle that threatened to burst from within. He was unemployed. He was homeless. Although technically not, he had more than enough money to last him for at least the next couple of hundreds of years, but there was a good chance that he’d be unemployed for longer than that. Mages’ memories surpassed that of elephants. They always remembered and never forget. If it came out that he was fired, he would never gain employment as a respectable mage again. Ever. “I’m screwed.” He straightened his shoulders. “I’m selfish. This isn’t about me. I did the right thing. I couldn’t let him die – not again.”

McGee frowned. Nothing that Jimmy said was making any sense. He wished Abby was here, at least she knew how to speak Jimmy. It was a language that few people understood. “Jimmy. What is going on?” He took his friend by the shoulders and shook him once.

Jimmy’s shoulders sagged. “You’ll be angry.”

“Of what? Jimmy, how can I be angry, if I don’t even know what is going on? You’re starting to worry me. Do you want me to call Abby?”

Jimmy shook his head.

“Ducky? Do you want me to call the Oracle? Will he be able to help?”

“What! No, you can’t call him. Not him. Not about this. In any case, he doesn’t care.” Jimmy jumped to his feet.

“What? What do you mean he doesn’t care? He’s like a father to you, Jimmy, of course he cares.” McGee frowned. Things were not adding up.

“No, no he doesn’t. If he did, he would’ve understood, but to him everything is black and white. There can’t be any other color in between.”

“Jimmy, no.” McGee pulled his friend back to the couch. “You need to calm down and tell me what’s going on. What happened?”

Jimmy snorted. “You won’t understand.”

McGee shimmered and the beautiful fox with its nine tails barked and bared his teeth at his friend. His moss green eyes sparked with fury, but at the same time he looked sad. McGee shimmered again and changed back into his human form. “Don’t shut me out, James Palmer. Not now. Not after all the years we’ve known one another and have been friends. You’re right if you say I won’t understand, but that would be because you won’t talk to me. That’s the only reason why I won’t understand. And I would like to understand, please, Jimmy. Talk to me.”

Jimmy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He stuttered, but then the words started to flow, and he found himself telling the whole story – everything to McGee, including how he managed to keep tabs on the Prophecy through a small gemstone. “And now I’m no longer the apprentice to the Oracle. The one man I respected now sees me as a failure, but I had to do it. I just had to.”

McGee didn’t know what to say. He could remember the promise he and Abby made about thirty-three years ago, but he never thought about it again. It seemed like he had missed out on a lot. Including the fact that his friend had grown into his own skin. “Ducky is right, you’re not worthy of the title of apprentice, but not in the way you think, Jimmy.” McGee smiled. “I don’t care what the Oracle might have said, or anyone else for that matter, what is more important, Jimmy, is the fact that you’ve outgrown your status as apprentice. You’re a full mage and I would say a very powerful one at that.”

“How can you say that? I still have so much to learn. I don’t know half the things that Ducky does.”

“And yet, you know more than half the things our Oracle does not.” McGee placed a hand on Jimmy’s shoulder. “Don’t sell yourself short, Jimmy. I heard what you told me now, and I have a feeling that there is plenty more that you didn’t tell me, but you, being able to produce a stone that acts as an alarm to inform you when the Mirror reflects the fate of the Prophecy tells me just how amazing you are.”

Jimmy blushed. He didn’t know what to make of McGee’s words. It still stung that Ducky thought so little of him. He knew he needed to at least try to talk to the Oracle again, but first he needed to sort through all of the thoughts that kept on racing through his head. “There’s something else I need to tell you.”

McGee frowned. He couldn’t think of what else Jimmy had to say. He nodded.

“It’s not really my story to tell, but it’s related to what I’ve told you already, but I need you to promise that you won’t say a word about it. Not to anyone, not even Abby.”

“Will it harm someone if I keep this information to myself?”

Jimmy shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of and you know I would never let you make such a promise if I knew someone might get hurt in the process.”

“Okay, I promise.” McGee held his breath. For one or other reason he felt nervous about what Jimmy might share with him.

“The prophecy is even more important than what we thought it might be.”

“What do you mean?”

“Itturnsoutthathe’sGibbs’firstmate.” Jimmy rumbled the words off.

“What?” McGee frowned. “You want to repeat that again, because it sounded like you said he was Gibbs’ first mate?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Holy shit!” McGee jumped to his feet. “This is fucking epic.” He paced the room. “If that came out, he could be in serious danger.” The whole supernatural community knew about the prophecy and how it was supposed to bring change to the order of things. Naturally, some were against such a possibility of change. If they could get a chance to stop it, they would not hesitate to do just that. “The Council.” Dread filled his voice.

Jimmy groaned. “I don’t even want to consider that possibility.”

“Where’s Gibbs?” Something inside of McGee screamed that he needed to get in touch with the Alpha dragon. All of his instincts were screaming that he needed to protect not only what he saw as his family, but something more.

“He left. He went to the Adams hotel.”

“When?” McGee frowned as he reached for his phone. He needed to call Gibbs, but his finger rested on Tobias’ number.

“A few hours back, I think.” Jimmy chewed his finger nails. A slap to his wrist had him remove his hand quickly. “Sorry.”

“I thought that’s a habit you stopped long ago.” McGee pressed the call button.

“Let’s just say I started again.”

McGee rolled his eyes. “I can see that.” He turned as his call got answered. “Hey.” He could feel himself smiling as Tobias answered his phone.

_“You okay?”_

McGee nodded, even though he was aware that the dragon couldn’t see him. He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I am.” He continued before Tobias could speak up again. “I know about Gibbs’ mate. What can I do to help?” McGee frowned when the line remained silent. “Tobias?” He frowned at the phone. “Tobias?”

 _“No, it’s Gibbs. I don’t know what Palmer told you, and at this moment I don’t really care, but get your ass down here and make sure to bring the Mage along with you. Move it, McGee!”_ The call disconnected.

McGee looked at the phone in his hand and then at his friend. “It seems we need to get moving.” He dragged Jimmy by the arm.

“Where are we going?” Jimmy tried to keep up. His legs might have been longer than McGee’s but the fox had the ability to walk at a brisk pace, meaning most had to run to keep up with him.

“The Adams hotel.” McGee took the stairs two by two as they descended to the lower floor. When he opened the front door, he cursed. His Porsche was not there. It looked like they had to take Jimmy’s car. And therein lay the problem. Jimmy had a small hybrid car. Environmentally friendly, but not the fastest thing on four wheels. It was going to take them a while to get to where they were supposed to be.

“Do you trust me?” Jimmy spoke up next to his friend as he looked on while McGee frowned at their choice of transport.

“Now you’re asking me that question?”

Jimmy shook his head. “Hold on.” He didn’t give any further explanation. He grabbed McGee’s arm, closed his own eyes and held on as the world disappeared around them.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Witches’ district**

Tony leaned heavily against the wall. He hated being here, but he had no other place to go. He knew he needed medical assistance and going to a hospital was still out of the question. Seeing the healer didn’t work, he needed something stronger and you didn’t get anything stronger than pure Elven magic and not the elves that you saw on the street. Their power didn’t register on the scale of power when it came to healing abilities, unless you contact those elves who had given up the light and went dark. Yes, evil dark. They would help you, there were rumors going around that they’re able to stop death, bring you back from the death, but by the number of zombies walking around, he didn’t think that practice was such a huge success. Their service also came at a price and a hefty one at that. If you want to save your life you need to take another. Tony was against murder, but he wasn’t against killing. He looked at the figure behind him. He was a human monster – a child rapist. No one would miss him, not even his own mother.

Tony looked around and then rapped his knuckles against the door twice. He waited patiently. He shook his head as his vision turned gray, he would not pass out now. He had to survive. Finally, the door opened and he slipped inside. He left the figure lying on the ground outside. “I need assistance.”

The elf that opened the door looked at Tony and sneered. “You’re at the wrong place, human.”

Tony managed to straighten up. “I’m at the right place, elf.” He sneered himself. “I need healing, I need it now and I’ve brought payment.” He didn’t need to refer to what was on the other side of the door. He knew the elf had seen the figure there.

“We do not serve your kind here.”

He managed to laugh and hissed at the pain that rippled through his shoulder. Tony leaned in and whispered in the elf’s ear. He hated the fact that he couldn’t see the blood drain from the fae’s body, but he knew his words had the desired effects. Tony leaned back. He switched over to English. “Do you understand?” The elf nodded. He still looked pissed, but Tony knew he would do now what was asked of him.

“Right this way.” The elf indicated to the long passage behind him.

“Bring my payment.” Tony didn’t look back as he dismissed the elf as if he was common help. He made sure to keep close to the wall. The passage looked more ominous than ever, but he couldn’t dwell on that. Finally, he reached the door. He didn’t bother to knock, but pushed the handle down and as the door swung open he stepped in. Tony smiled as the elf came to her feet. She had the classical Elvish look. Her skin glowed with health, her hair in ringlets, but smoother than silk. He knew that from personal experience, at one time he played with it a lot.

“What do you want?” She produced a dagger from somewhere.

“Your help.” Tony managed to say before his knees gave way and he landed on his knees. He groaned as his injured body slammed into the floor. “Ziva, please.” His vision grayed out but not before he saw her walking towards him. The dagger still clutched in her hand.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

“You didn’t kill me,” Tony rasped out the words as he looked around him. He was in a large bed, his body covered with soft blankets. He knew without looking that he was naked beneath the covers. He returned his gaze to the beauty that sat across from him. He’d known Ziva for about five years, but sometimes it felt much longer. He’d met her on his travels in Europe. She was evil and she knew he knew, but she was the flame and he was the moth. He just couldn’t stay away.

“Pfft,” she huffed in annoyance and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “You should’ve come to me first.”

Tony shook his head. “No, you know I couldn’t.”

She shrugged. “True.” Ziva got to her feet. “You’re not going to apologize.”

Tony smiled tiredly. “For what, exactly, Ziva?”

She balled her fists. “You know for what.” Her voice became louder.

“No, Ziva.” Tony managed to move up so that he rested with his back against the headboard. His shoulder was bandaged tightly, and he no longer felt any pain. Ziva had done her work and he knew when he removed the bandage it would be difficult to see the mark that was left from where he was shot.

She growled at him and he had to duck when a glass flew from her hand. It shattered against the wall next to the bed. “You betrayed me!” She screamed.

“And you did the same to me.” Tony remained calm. “The only difference is that I would’ve come back for you. You left me there.”

Ziva smiled. “True.” She moved away from the window and took a seat next to him on the bed. “But now we’re both here in America. I’m planning to stay here for a long time. You?”

Tony nodded. “This is my home.”

Ziva looked at him. “We will spend many a night fucking.”

Tony hardened under the covers and he willed his cock down. “You know it will be a bad idea. We will end up killing one another. Sooner, rather than later.”

“You’re right once again, but until then, I don’t see why we can’t enjoy ourselves.” Ziva came to her feet and snatched the blankets from Tony. She smiled. “I think we should see if you’re healed.” She didn’t give him time to respond. Ziva got on top of the bed, crawled over his body and without any preamble she took his cock in hand and lowered herself onto him. Both gasped as she took him to the root.

“Fuck,” Tony pushed his hips upwards as she slammed her hips down.

Ziva set a fast pace, both of them gasped and fought for control as they licked and nipped at one another. Tony placed his hands on her hips as he thrust upwards and then turned them both so that he had her pinned beneath him. She growled at him and he laughed.

“You love it.” He slammed forward again and at the same time he pushed his hand between their bodies and let his thumb glide over her swollen clit. She shivered, and he did it again.

“Harder, fuck, harder. You know I won’t break!” She gasped. She dragged her nails over his back. The red marks would take days to fade. She screamed as he obeyed the order and then her release was on top of her and as she fell over the cliff she tightened her internal muscles around his cock and took him with her to the land of no return.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Adams Hotel**

Abby looked at the different men that surrounded her. She knew each one of them for as long as she could remember and that was saying something. There were days where she loved being alone, being in her true form and just enjoyed the night life around her, and then there were the days which she craved more. Those were the days spent with her friends. But, they were more than her friends, they were her family. At this moment they were all growly and she could taste the pheromones in the air as they all tried to play Alpha. She sighed, put her fingers to her lips and whistled. It had the required effect. She grinned as they broke apart and stared at her.

“I love you all to bits, but you need to stop with this yapping. It’s not helping.” She wanted to slap each one of them at the back of their heads, but she knew she wouldn’t get far. The temptation was still there, and she clasped her hands behind her back.

Gibbs looked around and then nodded. “You’re right, Abby.” He turned to McGee. “Do your thing and find my mate.”

McGee nodded, although to Abby he still looked green in the face. It seemed like Jimmy’s ability to apparate was not appreciated by McGee and he showed just how much he disliked it by trying to punch Jimmy in the face, but since he was still unsteady on his feet, he’d swung and missed. He managed to land face first on the carpet where Tobias was first to reach his side and helped him up. Abby frowned. There was something going on between McGee and Tobias, but she couldn’t place her finger on it. It was something that she needed to look into, but not right now. She focused her attention back on Jimmy. Her friend stood taller, it was as if something inside of him changed. She had to make time to sit down and have a good chat with him. He tended to crawl into his shell and she hated seeing him withdrawn. He was an amazing mage, he just had to believe it himself. By his stance, she had a feeling that he was beginning to do just that.

“Why can’t you find him like you did before? Do you need more of my blood?” Gibbs held out his hand, palm up.

Jimmy shook his head. “No, it doesn’t work that way. The Mirror is the connection to the prophecy. Without the mirror showing him in its reflection, I can’t scribe for him.”

“Then let’s go and get the mirror.” Gibbs moved towards the door.

“It’s not going to work.” Jimmy’s words echoed through the room. He looked on as Gibbs slowly turned.

“Why not?”

Even though he expected the question, he still had a problem in explaining the problem. “The Mirror is fickle.”

“Fickle?” Gibbs frowned. “What the fuck?”

“Fickle, inconstant, prone to change.” Tobias explained and had to duck as Gibbs swung out to slap him on the back of his head.

“I know what fickle means, Tobias. I’m wondering how the fuck an object like the mirror can be fickle.” Gibbs stepped closer to Jimmy. “Explain.”

“The Mirror is not just a mere object. Surely, you of all creatures should know that the world isn’t just white and black. There are more to the world than what even we know, including things like the Mirror. Its power is something that no one can explain, and throughout the ages, mages and other magical and supernatural beings tried to test the mirror, but all failed to explain the power it contained. The Mirror shows only that what it wants to show when it shows it and nothing more. Until the Mirror decides to show us where the prophecy finds himself, I will not be able to scribe for him again.”

“If you don’t understand the power of the Mirror, then how did you manage to get a warning system in place to warn you when the mirror does show the prophecy?” McGee was the one who spoke up. He looked at Jimmy’s pocket. His friend had shown him the stone that warned him when the mirror revealed its reflections.

“I don’t know.”

“What?” More than one voice echoed the question.

Jimmy lowered his head. He knew he had to explain things, but he couldn’t help to wonder if his friends would understand when he did.

“There’s something that you’re not telling us, Mage Palmer. I think it’s time you come clean about everything.” Gibbs spoke with authority, but his voice was laced with kindness as well.

Jimmy nodded his head as he looked up. “I will, I promise, but we need to find your mate first, Alpha Gibbs. He’s in danger and gravely wounded. My story can keep, his life can’t.”

It was Gibbs’ turn to nod. “You’re right and I’ll hold you to promise. Let’s find my mate.”

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**National Gallery of Art: Pavilion Café**

Tony looked around the café while he took a sip from his craft beer as he looked out on the fountain. It was late afternoon and most of the day’s visitors had already left. He touched his shoulder and frowned before he remembered there was a reason he couldn’t feel any pain. He was healed and felt almost brand new. It had come with a price, but one he would pay again without blinking an eye. He never thought himself better than any other man, in fact, he thought very little of himself. He had no friends. Yes, he knew people, some better than others, but friends, that he didn’t have. He had fuck buddies, like Ziva. Tony shook his head. Now was not the time to dwell on that topic. He paid for her service, she healed him, they fucked and now he was here to do a job.

He placed the frosted glass on the table and leaned back in his chair as his client approached. The man looked more muddled than what he’d seen before and Tony wondered if the man was rethinking his plan. At least he already took his first fee so if the deal didn’t go through, he would not walk away empty handed.

“On time as always.” The man shuffled nervously but didn’t attempt to sit down.

“Sit, please.” Tony indicated at the chair across from him.

“I don’t want to.” His hand reached out to the chair.

“People will start looking at you if you don’t take a seat. You’re already as nervous as hell.”

The man shook his head. “How do I know this is not a setup?” He looked around nervously.

Tony shrugged. “Well, then you’ve got nothing to worry about, because if one of us needs to be nervous than it’s me. So, is this a trap for me?” His words made the man recoil, as if the chair attacked him.

“You know I would never.”

“Then sit down, please.” Tony indicated to the chair again. He remained silent until the man finally sat down. “Tell me what happened.”

“How do you know something happened?”

“Because you’re more nervous than what I’ve ever seen you before and you kind of confirmed it now. What’s going on?”

The man wrung his hands. “The exhibit has been pushed up.”

“What?” Tony leaned forward in his chair. This wasn’t something he’d expected to hear. “When?”

“Three months.”

“Three months?” Tony repeated the words. “You said it at least six months, what happened, why now?”

The man cleared his throat. “The museum, it’s losing money. If there’s not a serious influx of money it would have to shut its doors. Forever.”

“So instead of holding on until the end of the year, they’ve decided to bring out the big guns in the summer months.” It made sense to Tony.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure they still don’t suspect anything?”

He shook his head. “No. I’ve not spoken to anyone about it, except to you and to…”

Tony held up his hand. “I know who you’ve spoken to. I’ll have it ready for you in three months.”“What if they want to authenticate it?”

Tony managed not to roll his eyes. “Of course, they would want to authenticate it. They would be stupid if they didn’t. Especially since it has been out of commission for so long. But since you carry so much weight, I assume you would make sure to get the _right_ person for the job.” Tony rose to his feet. “I’ll let you know when to expect it. I’ll expect payment within twelve hours thereafter.” He didn’t look back as he walked out of the café and into the setting sun. He had a date with a Saint called George and an unknown dragon to slay.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Dragon House: Following day**

“Nothing, absolutely fucking nothing!” McGee threw his arms up in the air. He spun his chair around and looked at the dragons who stood behind him. “It’s as if he’d disappeared into thin air.” McGee turned his chair back to the screen and typed feverishly on the keyboard. “Here.” He indicated to the screen. “It must be him. The time is right and he’s the only one who keeps his face obscured from the cameras as he exited the hotel.” He traced the figure with his finger as the figure continued up the block and then around the corner. The footage jumped to another shot. This time from the front. The figure’s head is down. The only noticeable thing was the limp.

“That’s not a natural limp.”

“Mm.” Tobias leaned forward. “Freeze the image.” He waited for McGee to do it before he leaned back. “It’s natural, but he’s exaggerating.”

McGee cocked his head. Typed on the keyboard and brought two images up side by side. They moved in tandem. “You’re right. He’s got a natural limp.” McGee frowned. “There’s something familiar about him.”

“Like what?” Gibbs moved forward.

“I can’t say. It’s as if I’ve seen him before. Or not _him_ , but the limp.”

“His limp? You’ve seen his limp before? What the hell, McGee? That doesn’t make sense.”

“I know that, Gibbs, but there’s something about it that looks familiar, but I can’t remember from where.”

“I might help.” Abby entered the large office space. She held a file to her chest.

“What do have, Abby?”

“Something that I think you won’t like, but before I give it to you, you have to know I run the test five times, Gibbs. Five times. I mean, I have realized it sooner, but then things got hinky here and it totally blew my mind until now, so I’m sorry it took me so long.”

“What is it, Abby?” Gibbs interrupted her.

“I’ve compared the DNA samples we took from the hotel room with everything we had in our database, but nothing popped up. I ended up using CODIS where I found a match of an unsolved attempted murder case from 2006. It was from the victim, but I ran the names through the system and it came back with nothing.”

“False name?”

Abby nodded. “Most definitely.” She held the file out to Gibbs. “I don’t know why, because it’s not relevant, except that it is, so I compared the DNA from the guy who told McGee that you would be going into a trap to the 2006 matter and that’s a match.”

“Where did you get the DNA to compare?” McGee frowned.

“When he escaped from the back of the car, I had Abby do a full sweep of the vehicle.” Tobias answered.

Gibbs lowered the file. “It means that my mate was the one who spoke to you in the restaurant. He knew it was a setup.”

McGee nodded slowly. He’d come to the same conclusion. He looked up when Tobias groaned. “Tobias?”

The dragon ran his hand over his face. “It’s him.” He looked at Gibbs. “At the hotel in the room, there was something that bothered me, but I couldn’t put my finger on it and now I know what it was. His smell.”

Gibbs sat down heavily on top of the desk. “It’s the same smell.” He looked around and his gaze settled on McGee. “He saved your life for a second time that day. That’s why he was bleeding.” He managed to get to his feet. “I smelled him in the alley, but because you were there, and you had been in contact with him, I didn’t think about it anymore, but now, now it makes sense. He got out of the car and hid in the alley while the shootout went on. He must’ve seen you in the alley and he must’ve seen the shooter. He took a bullet for you.”

Abby nodded. She knew Gibbs had read her report. “Yes.” She looked at the others in the room. “I compared the DNA in the room with the blood we found on McGee’s shirt. It was a match.”

McGee got to his feet and walked over to where the Alpha stood. He went down on one knee and placed his hand over his heart. “I vow to do everything in my power to find your mate and then to keep him safe until my dying day. I owe my life to him not once, but two times. I will be forever in his debt and in yours.”

Gibbs placed his hand on top of McGee’s head. “I will keep you to your vow, McGee. You will be his main protector when we find him. You will let no harm come to him, of that I’m sure.” Gibbs removed his hand. “Find him.”


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Dragon house: 2 days later**

_“Merkel is dead.”_ McGee’s voice sounded through the phone.

“What happened?” Gibbs asked as he pulled up his jeans and made his way over to the large window. He didn’t have time to drive to the council house, it would be easier to fly.

_“Gutted.”_

“In a secure cell? What the fuck, McGee? Find out what happened. I’ll be there in ten.” Gibbs ended the call and yelled out to Fornell as he threw open the window. He turned as the door to his bedroom opened up. “Merkel is dead.” He didn’t wait for a reply, but took to the air. He knew his second in command would be hot on his tail.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Council house: Secured detention cells**

“What do you have, McGee?” Gibbs asked as he stepped deeper into the cell. The troll’s body was to the side and by the blood and guts he saw on the floor, he knew they didn’t need Palmer to tell them what the cause of death was. McGee’s observation was correct.

“All the cameras stopped working late last night. The guard captain was informed and a tech team was called out. I’ve got reports from all of the teams that around the clock checks were done on all of the prisoners and everything was in order.”

“Clearly not.” Gibbs indicated to the dead body.

“You can say that again, Boss.” McGee ripped out a page from his notebook. “Here’s the information on the guard captain as well as all of the guards that pulled duty the last twenty-four-hours. I’ve made sure that the captain is in the conference room so that you can speak to him when you want. I’ve managed to secure offices for the guards, so they are all separated. The guard that found the body is two cells down.”

Gibbs frowned. “Why’s he there?”

“ _She’s_ there because she locked herself in there and refused to come out. She also lost her dinner and last I heard she was still puking her guts out.”

“Why?” Gibbs looked down the passage.

“She feels she’s responsible for Merkel’s death.” McGee responded.

“Once again, why?”

McGee shrugged. “Boss, I wish I could say. She’s not making much sense and since I was in no mood to deal with a blubbering rookie, I decided to leave her there for now. At least she’s separate from the others.”

“And you want _me_ to question her?”

Something in Gibbs’ voice made McGee blanch. “No, Boss. Not at all. I just thought we wouldn’t get anything valuable out of her now, so it was easier to keep her separate so that she can calm down and then I’ll talk to her.”

Gibbs stared at McGee until the Kitsune looked away. “What’s her name?”

“Ellie Bishop.” McGee frowned.

“What is it, McGee?”

“She’s a werewolf, Gibbs.”

“A werewolf?” Gibbs frowned. Werewolves were not creatures normally associated with law enforcement. Unless you took into account that they tried to have run ins with the law as often as possible.

“There’s more.”

Gibbs growled. “Is there a reason why you’re trying to piss me off at three in the morning, McGee?”

“Not really, Boss. I can tell you that I’m running on fumes, but you know that. You got less sleep than me, but I know that’s no excuse not to do my job properly. I apologize.”

Gibbs nodded. They were all beyond tired and he knew McGee was doing his best. “You want to start from the beginning McGee?”

“Sounds like a good idea.” McGee looked down at his notes and then he gave everything he got on the rookie to Gibbs. He looked up. “Just one more thing, Gibbs.”

Gibbs sighed. “Do I want to know?”

McGee managed to grin. “She’s vegan.”

Gibbs frowned. “Vegan?”

“Yes, strict vegetarian. Does not eat any animal or dairy products, also doesn’t use any animal products, like leather.”

Gibbs’ hand connected hard with the back of McGee’s head.

“Sorry, Boss.”

“Secure the scene here, McGee and go start the interviews. If you’re done, go back home and get some sleep. And the last was not a suggestion, McGee. You’re really grinding on my last nerve and since I like you a lot, I do think it’s best for you to stay clear of me for a few hours. We’ll meet again at one, until then, do your work and get some rest. Is that clear?” Gibbs stood toe to toe with his lead investigator.

“Crystal, Boss.”

“Good.” Gibbs turned and walked out of the cell. He took great care not to step in the blood and looked as Fornell glared at him. Palmer stood behind his second in command. “Get to work.” He barked at both of them and without looking back, he made his way to the indicated cell.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Ellie looked up as a shadow fell across the bunk she laid on. Her eyes grew huge as she saw who it was. She jumped up and hit her head on the top bunk. The hit was hard enough that it made her see stars and she sagged back onto the thin mattress again. “Ouch.”

“You can say that again. You okay?” Gibbs asked, concerned. She wasn’t what he expected. She was slimly built, about five feet seven with blond hair. She smelled like grass. Not a scent one would associate with werewolves.

“Have you come to kill me?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because I know who you are and because a detainee is dead and it’s my fault.”

Gibbs ignored the comment on his identity. “Did you kill him?”

She shook her head and rubbed at the spot on her forehead again. “No.”

“How long have you been working for the Council, Bishop?”

“It’s my second night.”

Gibbs cringed. No wonder McGee said she was a rookie. She was still brand-new. It was strange to find rookies assigned to night shifts, but he had a feeling since she was female this was part of her hazing. He would look into it. Practices like this would not be tolerated. “What happened?” He took a seat next to her.

She looked up at him and then told him everything that occurred. “But then Sacks called me over the radio and said I’d forgotten to lock a gate at section one and I had to go back, and I didn’t understand it, because I will never forget to lock a gate, but he said I did and he’s my senior so why would he lie?”

“Was the gate locked?”

She shook her head. “It stood open.”

“Then?”

“Then he made me lock it.”

“You went back to your post, continued with your rounds?”

Ellie shook her head. “Not immediately.”

Gibbs wanted to explode with anger, but he had a feeling he needed to hear the whole story before he blew his top. “Why not?”

“He made me unlock and lock the gate another hundred times before he released me.”

Gibbs took a deep breath to calm himself. “How long were you gone before you returned to your rounds?”

“I did it as fast as I could, Sir, but it still set me back twenty minutes. I’m sorry.”

Gibbs got to his feet. “I’ll need a full report from you, Bishop. Write it up in detail, give it to Agent McGee and then go home.”

“You’re not going to kill me, Sir?”

“I might consider it if you call me sir again. It’s Gibbs or Alpha, but definitely not sir. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Sir Alpha Gibbs. Sorry, I mean Alpha. It’s clear.” Ellie smiled.

Gibbs found himself smiling as well. “Go and get some sleep after you’ve written your report, Bishop. I’ll be in touch.”

“Thank you, Alpha.” The blond got to her feet, bowed and then scurried out of the cell. It was only when she was outside that she remembered that she locked the cell herself, but now it was opened again. She turned around. “How did you get in?”

Gibbs smiled. “I’m a dragon.”

Bishop looked confused. “Okay.” There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but she had a feeling now wasn’t not the time. She nodded and this time she did walk away.

Gibbs rolled his eyes and got to his own feet. It seemed there was something hinky going on around here. And he had a feeling he knew just where to start looking to get to the bottom of who murdered the troll.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Gibbs looked bored as he stared at the creature in front of him. The shape shifter appeared human, most of them did, and Gibbs would never admit it out loud, but he was grateful for that, because in their true forms they were hideous.

“I don’t work for you. I’m employed by the council.” Ron Sacks leaned back and rocked the chair on its back legs.

“Who told you that?” Gibbs remained where he was.

“Councilor Shepard.”

Gibbs nodded. He didn’t find it strange that Jenny would say something like that, he did find it strange that she shared it with someone like Sacks. She rarely, if ever, associated herself with any other creature, except those of her own kind, or those that would be beneficial to her. “Do you know how the council came into existence?”

“I don’t think it’s relevant to this conversation. I have rights. I have done nothing wrong. I was on my post at the time of the incident.”

Gibbs barked out a laugh. “Seriously? You want to go with the line you’ve got rights?” Gibbs stepped away from the wall and circled the table where Sacks sat. He leaned in. “And as for how the council came into existence, it is indeed relevant to this conversation. Do you know why?” He didn’t give a damn if Sacks answered or not. Gibbs continued. “Because, as my right and responsibility I was the one who called the council into existence. They may have authority over certain issues, but they answer to _me_. Just like _you_ answer to me. And _I_ want answers. NOW!”

Gibbs slammed his fist against the table. The wooden frame cracked under the force of the hit. He stepped away as Sacks lost the ability to keep to his human form and changed into his true form. Gibbs smirked. “Scared, are you?” He walked around the table again. “You better start talking, Sacks and you better tell me everything you’ve got, and maybe, just maybe I will feel generous enough to spare your life.”

“You can’t kill me.” Sacks tried to show bravado, but he failed miserably.

Gibbs shook his head. “You’re wrong on so many levels. One, I am quite capable of killing you. Two, as Alpha Dragon of the Americas I’m in a unique position to act as judge, jury and executioner whenever I see fit to do so. Three, treason is a killable offense. Four…” Gibbs stopped talking as Sacks tried to get up from the table. He shook from head to toe.

“I didn’t commit treason.”

“No?” Gibbs pushed the shapeshifter back into the chair. The creature screamed as he used enough force to crumble his clavicle with his hand. He leaned in and whispered, “You betrayed me by letting someone I had in my detention cells be murdered. Not just murdered, but executed. That means you are working for someone else. That means you’re not loyal to the council and you’re definitely not loyal to me. I’m the Alpha Dragon. All supernatural creatures fall under my rule. You betrayed me. _That_ is treason.”

Sacks gasped for air and for a moment Gibbs thought that the shape shifter was crying, but as he looked on, the creature turned red in the face. He reached for his throat and his eyes bulged. Gibbs grabbed hold of his hands and forced it away from Sacks’ throat. “Who paid you? Who killed Merkel?” Gibbs shook the shape shifter, but even before the creature could take his next breath he shuddered and died. Gibbs let go and the body fell from the chair onto the floor. At the same time the door to the interrogation room flew open.

“Suicide?” Fornell asked as he stepped around the table to look at the body.

“Murdered.”

“You sure?” Fornell hunkered down. The body was already decomposing. Shape shifters turned into a slimy goo when they died. The only way they would get the mess out of the room was to wash it away. “If you’re right, then it means we’ve got bigger problems than what we thought.”

Gibbs grunted in agreement. He knew he was right. Sacks didn’t bite down on a cyanide capsule, he was killed by a spell. And only the most powerful mages had the ability to cast death spells over a distance. There was something else that needed to be taken into consideration. The Council House was warded against spells of this nature. For a mage to have cast a death spell meant that the wards were broken, or the spell was cast within the walls. “Find the Oracle.” He growled. He didn’t want to believe it, but he knew of only one mage that was powerful enough to do this. “Find him, bring him to me, now!”

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**DiNozzo Residence: Same night**

“It is done.” The light disappeared from the being’s eyes and the pupils turned milky white.

“You sure?”

“Do you question my ability?”

“No, just making sure.”

“I will take my leave then.” The being rose to its feet. Its frail body looked like a stick figure and it moved slowly towards the door. It reached the door and looked back. “The prophecy is bigger than you realize.”

Anthony DiNozzo smirked. “No, it’s not.” He looked on as the door opened and before the being could step out a figure stepped in front of it. The being’s neck snapped and it crumbled to the floor. DiNozzo looked at the huge man that filled the door. “On time as always. Clean that up and return. I’ve got work for you.” The Golem bowed, leaned forward and picked up the broken body. He left as silently as he came.

“Will that be my end as well?” She asked from the side, her split tongue flicked out once.

DiNozzo smiled. “No, you’re way too beautiful to be ended in that way. No, should you betray me, I will personally end your life.” He leaned in and kissed her hand. “Now, what do you say? Let’s get something to eat. I know the chef prepared some delicious dishes for you to try out. There’s some Pixy soup on the menu. I know it’s your favorite.”

She used the offer hand and pulled herself to her feet. Her hair was neatly styled and her dress complimented her figure. “It sounds lovely.” They made their way out of the study and entered a large dining room set for two. She smiled as he pulled out her chair for her and waited until she was seated before he took his own seat. A server appeared next to her and lifted the lid from the plate in front of her. She smiled. The sweet aroma of warm Pixy filled her senses. Her tongue darted out as she tasted the aromas in the air. Gently she picked up the tiny wing that was placed on top as garnish and put the little morsel into her mouth. She rolled her eyes and smiled. It was pure perfection.

They ate in silence until DiNozzo placed his knife down and dabbed his mouth with his napkin. “You ready to talk more business?”

She smiled. She had come a long way since her one mishap all those years ago. Her body still had the scars where he’d punished her, but that was in the past. Now, they were more business partners than employer and employee. “Always. But, there’s one question you’ve never answered me on. Will you answer me tonight?”

DiNozzo shrugged. “I don’t see why not. Our partnership has come a long way and by helping me tie up a few loose ends tonight, you deserve some answers.” He came to his feet and offered her his hand. They retreated into a large sitting room and took their seats on a cushy sofa. “What do you want to know?”

“You’re obsessed with the prophecy.” She had never dared to ask him why.

DiNozzo cocked his head. “So are you.”

“Indeed, but you’re human. I’m not.”

DiNozzo smirked. “True, but my reason is more personal.”

She leaned closer. “I’m intrigued.”

“I thought you might be.” He leaned in. “There’s also a possibility that you will not like the reason for my obsession.”

She pressed her face in his neck and flicked out her tongue. He smelt cold, but powerful. It made her heart throb. “Tell me.”

DiNozzo came to his feet. He walked to the tall cabinet and poured himself a drink. He held up the tumbler to her. “You want one?”

“Sure,” she responded as she crossed her legs. She made sure her dress crept up towards her upper thighs. When he brought over the drinks she took hers and as he took his seat next to her, she scooted even closer. “I’m waiting.”

He took a sip of his drink and placed it on the side table. He turned and faced her. “You really that interested?”

She nodded. “You know I am.”

DiNozzo shook his head and shrugged. “We’ve been working together for so long, I might as well tell you.” He picked up his drink and drained the glass. He placed it back on the table and turned his body. He placed his hand on her knee and trailed the faint pattern on her stockings. He smiled as her breath hitched. He moved his hand higher. “I’m in possession of a letter written by my great, great, great, great grandfather. It speaks of a prophecy that would change the world. A prophecy that is directly linked to the DiNozzo line.”

She frowned at the words. Never before had she heard of any letter that spoke about the prophecy to any human. She bit down on her bottom lip but gasped as his hand stroked her pussy. She opened her legs, the narrow dress now only a hindrance. “How?” She managed to ask as his fingers played with her cunt. She moaned and threw her head back. She could feel how wet she was, and he’d only started.

DiNozzo leaned in, nipped at her earlobe and then whispered. “It will unite the supernatural and the human worlds forever.”

She whimpered. “That can’t happen.”

He smirked. “You’re right that can’t happen, but not for the reason you’re thinking.” He shoved his fingers into her and grinned as she screamed. He pumped his fingers in and out, his thumb tickling her clit merciless.

“Fuck, please, please.” Her head lolled from side to side. She throbbed so hard and the fingers, although they were thick were not enough.

DiNozzo removed his hand, jumped from the couch and yanked her up by her arm. Before she could stand he grabbed her dress and ripped it apart with his bare hands. He took in the sight before him. She stood naked before him, a faint blush appeared on her skin. He took her breast in his hand and squeezed it. She moaned for him again. He dragged her to his chest and lowered his head. He took the plump breast in his mouth and suckled on the nipple. She went wild.

“Please, please,” she begged and tried to get him to move. She wanted his mouth not only on her breast, but lower, so much lower. She got hold of his shirt and gripped it between her hands. She pulled, and it ripped. The sound made her ripple with her own power.

He lifted her off her feet and it was his turn to groan as his cock swelled even more in its confined space. He placed his hands under her buttocks and carried her over to the side table. He held her to his chest and with his other hand, he swiped the center piece from the table. He let her drop and pushed her back. One hand kept her down, the other loosened his trousers. His cock sprung free.

“Take me, please.” She pulled him closer and lifted her legs. She snaked them around his waist and pulled him flush against her heat. “Fuck me.” She lifted her pelvis.

DiNozzo took himself in hand and pushed into her wet folds. She enclosed around him and he thrust forward. The pace was hard, he could hear her scream; he could hear his own grunts as they both raced towards the finish line. She tightened her internal muscles and it felt like he was fucking a virgin. He grunted again and then spilled his seed within her. She screamed at her own release. He stayed inside of her even as they both came down from their high. He smirked. She still didn’t know the reason why the prophecy couldn’t come true. But, she would know soon enough. “You still want to know?” He couldn’t help but to ask.

“Indeed.” She replied and wiggled, in an attempt to get him off her, but he stayed inside. She tried to push him off her, but he grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head. His scent had changed. Now it smelled dark, darker than what she ever thought possible. She swallowed hard. She would not let her fear show. She did it once before and made a vow to herself that she would never do it again. She had to let this play out, she was a supernatural creature, a demigod. He was a mere mortal. She was in no danger.

DiNozzo leaned in and licked the sweat that gathered on her skin. “You see, men and monster have been living side by side for as long as everyone can remember, but that’s not how it is supposed to be. You are just creatures, stupid animals that think they can rule the world, but not any longer.” He sneered as he looked down at her. “Humans must reign. We must control the world, not creatures like yourself. If I can kill the Prophecy then the war will begin and when the war begins, humans will reign supreme and creatures will become what they were supposed to be. Slithering animals to obey us. To worship us.” He picked her up by the shoulders and slammed her hard into the table.

She finally realized her mistake. He’d played her for years and now that she gave him what he wanted he would be in a position to stop everything. His reason was indeed more personal. He wanted to reign over the world, she only wanted Gibbs for herself. She weakly tried to get away, but the hit at the back of her head had her dizzy and she couldn’t concentrate. She couldn’t find the strength she needed to change, to slither away. He slammed her against the table again. Blinding pain exploded at the back of her head. She could smell her blood and feel the stickiness clot in her hair. He slammed her against the table again, she could feel the life draining from her body and her final thought was that at least he did say one thing that was true, he did kill her himself.

When she no longer moved beneath him, DiNozzo let go of her and slipped from her body. He was hard again but would take care of that later. He grabbed her dress and cleaned himself up. The knock on the door came seconds later. He walked over and opened it up. His Golem had returned. “You know where to place her body. Make sure that no one sees you.” He stood by the door as the mountain of a man picked up the limp body and carried her out. He closed the door behind them and leaned against the wall. “Time for stage two.” He walked over to the cabinet and poured himself another drink. Tonight, he would celebrate, tomorrow it would be time to start destroying the supernatural world. He raised his glass. “To humanity.”

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Dragon House: The Following day**

Tobias opened the door to the shared offices and stepped inside. He was bone tired and yawned as he dragged his free hand across his face. To say that the past twenty-four hours had been a cluster fuck would’ve been putting it mildly. They had a dead troll, a dead skin walker who seemed to have been working for someone who they couldn’t identify, and a missing Oracle. They were missing a large piece of the puzzle and Gibbs was ready to tear the Council House apart brick by brick. He would be lying if he said he didn’t want to do it himself.

He smiled as he saw McGee asleep with his head on his arms. The Kitsune had gone all out in his investigation into the breach at the detention cells, but at the same time he continued to look for Gibbs’ mate. Unfortunately, the man had disappeared into thin air. Another reason for Gibbs to be enraged.

Tobias placed the steaming cup of coffee on the side of McGee’s desk and slowly dragged his fingers through McGee’s hair. It was silky soft and he could smell the shampoo McGee used, but he could also smell McGee’s own natural scent beneath that. It made him want to pick McGee up and scent him all over. Tobias took a step back. Now was not the time for such things. He was still old school – very old school and he would do nothing inappropriate towards McGee, he would court him as he was supposed to.

He placed his hand on McGee’s shoulder and shook him slightly. “No sleeping on the job,” he said with a smile as McGee picked up his head and looked at him through squinted eyes.

“Tobias?” McGee’s voice was raspy, and he cleared his throat. “What’s the time?”

“Just after seven. Did you sleep here?” He picked up the cup of coffee and handed it to the McGee.

“Mm.” McGee closed his eyes as he inhaled the aroma of the coffee. He held the cup between his hands and took a sip. “Perfect, thank you.” He put the cup down and stood up. He stretched out his arms and worked the kinks out of his body. McGee blushed when he saw Tobias looking at him.

Tobias smiled but didn’t look away. He loved the red blush on Timothy’s cheeks and vowed to make it appear more often. “Did you find anything?” He asked as McGee sat down again.

McGee’s shoulders sagged. “No, no sign of the Oracle or the Prophecy.”

“You’re not going to call him Tony?” Tobias frowned.

McGee shook his head. “I know Abby told us his name, but we don’t know if that really is his name.” His friend had confirmed that it was the same human she had helped twelve years ago. She also told them that the Prophecy could see their true forms. Something that she only told Jimmy before. He wondered if that was the reason he helped them out in the restaurant. It was a well-known fact that most Kitsunes go into law enforcement. He looked at Tobias, who was perched on the side of his desk. “It’s strange that Jimmy never picked up on his name whenever he saw him in the mirror’s reflection.”

“Not really. The mirror only shows images, no sound gets broadcasted. He wouldn’t have been able to know the name from just looking at what was shown.”

McGee looked pensive. “I never knew that.”

“You never saw the Mirror reflecting?” Tobias sounded surprised.

“No, not once.” McGee focused his attention on his computer screen. “I wanted to run something by you.” He’d forgotten about it, but now that Tobias brought up the Prophecy’s name, he remembered.

“Shoot.”

McGee brought up the screen with a list of names. “This is the list of names of the hotel guests. Now the Prophecy was booked into the penthouse suite under the name A. Domingo. I have to give Abby credit that that A might stand for Anthony, meaning that he’s indeed going by the name Tony, but the initial could be for a totally different name as well. But, it did give me a starting point in trying to search for him. As we know, no one is registered in _any_ hotel in town under that same name and I also ran a search on new leases signed on apartments and houses and came up with nothing. I did try different spellings of the last name, but still no lead. Then I remembered a game we played when we were children. We would see how many objects, or animals we could name in different languages. And that had me run a search on the meaning of the name Domingo and I ran that through my search requirements.”

“You got a hit?”

“Yes, and no. Domingo is from the Latin word, dominus, which means lord or master. Under the last name Masters, I found a house registered to T. Masters. But, that house has been registered in that name for the past ten years.”

“Utility bills?”

“The same. I’ve tried to see if I could get a picture of the guy through DMV perhaps, but it seems like he doesn’t own a car or have a valid driver’s license.”

“CCTV cameras?”

“I’ve put in a request for the footage in and around a five-block radius of the house, but still waiting for that to be approved.”

“Want me to request it?”

McGee shook his head. “I only requested it via email at around three this morning, I’ll give them a few more hours before taking it further.”

“You’re doing good, Timothy. You’ll find him.” Tobias looked worried. “What about the Oracle?” Ducky disappearing wasn’t a good sign.

McGee groaned and lowered his head in his hands. “Gibbs promised to skin me alive and use my fur as a winter coat if I don’t find him. But, we all know the Oracle. He tends to disappear for days or even weeks on end. I know that he normally tells Jimmy where he’s going to, or at least gives him a general direction, but with things not good between them, Jimmy didn’t even know he’d left. I have no clue on even where to start looking for him!”

“Breathe, McGee.” Tobias placed his hand on McGee’s shoulder. “You’ll find him.”

McGee took a deep breath. “I’m happy that you’ve got confidence in my abilities, but at this stage, I’m not so sure.” He sounded despondent.

“What about trying that thing Jimmy did to find Tony?”

“Scribing?”

“Yeah, that.”

McGee shook his head. “Don’t ask me the specifics, but apparently Ducky has some sort of protective ward of his own, which makes it impossible for him to be scribed for. And trust me, Jimmy did try. He nearly singed his eyebrows off when the spell backfired. All that we can do is to wait for the Oracle to show up again on his own.”

“I agree, but there’s only one problem with that. Gibbs is ready to issue a magical warrant for his detention. I don’t know how long he’ll wait before he proceeds with the warrant.” Tobias paced the room.

“Because of Sacks’ death.” McGee took a guess.

“Correct. You know how powerful the wards are around the Council House. No ordinary mage could’ve killed Sacks without setting of those wards. In fact, we only know of one mage who is indeed capable of doing that.”

“Do you believe Ducky killed Sacks? Is he behind the death of Merkel as well, Tobias?”

“No, I don’t. But, he needs to be found. The sooner we get this cleared up, the better. We also need to find out for whom Sacks worked.”

McGee nodded in agreement. “I’ve gained access to his bank statements. He received several large payments in the past six months. All from different accounts, but the amount stayed the same every time.”

“Payoffs, but for what?” Tobias came and sat down on the side of the desk again. “Anything you’ve picked up showed that he had contact with Merkel?”

“Nothing. No interaction between Sacks and Merkel or any of Merkel’s known associates. I can’t even find a connection between Sacks and any of Merkel’s enemies and the troll had a lot of them.”

Tobias nodded. He wanted to answer, but a blood curdling scream filled the air. Dragon and Kitsune jumped to their feet.

“Abby!” They both ran toward the office door as Abby continued to scream.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Tony stepped away from the small panel. His back was killing him, but he couldn’t sit and paint. It was something he rarely did and only if he had no choice. He was clearly out of practice, especially if you looked around the study and saw the discarded panels. The problem was not the colors used, or the brushes. Not even the panel on which he had to replicate the painting had been a problem to obtain. He had his sources he could rely on and they always got him exactly what he asked. No, the problem was the dragon. Never mind how much he tried to copy the dragon exactly as what Raphael painted it, it kept on coming out a disaster. It was as if he couldn’t get it right. The sharp snout with the small ears, the foreleg with the paw and four tendons curled around the lance all looked wrong. The scales on the spine and the twirl in the long thick tail refused to submit to his brush or the thin glaze he used to build up the color intensity in each element of the picture. The dragon looked one dimensional and childish in the otherwise wonderful replica of the painting. Tony wanted to scream.

He cleaned his hands on a rag and decided to take a break. He needed to relax. It was almost dinner time. He closed the studio door behind him and made his way through the empty house and into the lavish kitchen. If he didn’t paint, he cooked. But, just as with him, painting, his eagerness for creating wonderful food had also diminished. Now, he was in the mood for some comfort food. And that meant making pasta from scratch. He opened the pantry door and sighed. It looked like the cupboard of old Mother Hubbard. It left him with one of two choices. One, forgetting about dinner, or two going out and getting the ingredients that he needed. Tony pondered for a moment or two and then reached for his keys. He’d been held up in his home for three straight days, it was time that he got out and got some fresh air and maybe a hit or two of the good stuff with the ingredients he’d needed. It’s been a while since he got high. It would feel good to fly again.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**DiNozzo Holdings**

Anthony DiNozzo placed down the report he’d read and came to his feet. It was late in the evening and he was in no mood to go home. Unless, there was a possibility that he could fuck and kill a Nāgini again. But, he only knew of one and she was dead.

It was strange, none of his sources had reported to him that the creatures were up in arms over her death. He knew she sat on one council or another, but in all the years he never could exactly find out what that was about. He knew the head was Leroy Jethro Gibbs, another creature. He didn’t know what, and he really didn’t care. He looked human, but he knew creatures and looks could be deceiving. He wanted the supernatural world to be in uproar about the death of a prominent figure in their midst, before he started the next part of his plan. He had always been patient, but it seemed that with age, that trait of him disappeared. DiNozzo came to his feet just as the phone on his desk buzzed.

“What?” He barked out.

“Here’s an elf here to see you, Mr. DiNozzo.”

He frowned. He had no elves on his payroll. They normally were all too high and mighty and since he decided that it was his task to rid the world of all things inhuman he’d started culling all things that were not human in his organization.

“Who is it?” The line remained silent.

“Who is it?” DiNozzo repeated the words again.

“Someone you would want to see.” A female voice sounded at his back and as he turned he saw her standing in the door. Over her shoulder he could see the slumped over body of his secretary. He had a feeling she didn’t merely faint.

“What do you want?” He stood where he was. She had an exotic look to her; even more beautiful than any other elf he’d ever seen. But, there was something else about her, something that made him feel uncomfortable. It was as if darkness seeped from her.

“I’ve got information for you.” She strolled in, walked around his desk and sat down in his chair.

“What makes you think I’m interested in any information you might have. Especially in the light of you coming in here and killing my secretary.”

The elf rolled her eyes. “You hated her, and she stole from you.”

“How do you possibly know that?” He started to feel uneasy.

She smiled at him. “I know a lot of things.”

“And why are you so willing to share it with me?”

“Because I know what you want to do, and I know things you don’t. Things that can blow your plan apart.”

DiNozzo laughed. “ _You_ know what I want to do?” He shook his head. “Get out, I don’t deal with your kind.”

She smiled again, but this time it was a cold and calculated smile. “You want to let mankind rule the world.” She cocked her head. “You want to destroy any and all relationships between supernatural creatures and humans.”

He found himself sitting down.

“Do I have your attention now?”

“That includes you and your kind.” He spoke up with a sure voice. He didn’t care what she was. He wanted them all under his thumb.

“And there lies my proposition to you. Are you willing to listen?”

He leaned in forward. “Tell me more.”

She nodded and leaned forward as well. “I know about your fight with Special Agent Gibbs. I know you’re the one who murdered his wife and his daughter.”

DiNozzo grinned and looked down at his hands. “My hands are clean.”

She cocked her head. “You sure?” She smiled again. “You want Gibbs dead because according to you he’s the driving force behind the supernatural council.”

“True.”

She shook her head. “He’s more than that.”

“No, he’s not. He’s just another creature, that’s all.”

She got to her feet. “You need better informers.” She turned and walked around his desk. She came to a halt behind him and leaned forward. “Dragons exist, Gibbs is their king and your son is alive.”

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Dragon House: Two days later**

Gibbs checked the Glock he had in his hand for the fourth time. He hated using man made weapons, with the exception of swords. Other than that, he was more than happy to use his own dragon strength to subdue and neutralize any possible threat, but this time around he knew it wouldn’t work. McGee had finally found his mate. It seemed that Tony was indeed the elusive T. Masters. McGee had picked him up on a CCTV camera where he stepped out of a small supermarket. He’d managed to track him within a block of T. Masters’ house. He finally knew where his mate was. The door to the offices opened and he got to his feet. “Abby,” he held out his hand and the vampire ran to him. She flung herself into his arms and sniffed hard. His heart ached for her. “Did you get any rest?”

She shook her head against his chest and held on tighter.

Gibbs sighed and gently pushed her away from him. When she looked up, he gave her a small smile. “You know you need to rest. Going without sleep has never been good for you.”

“I can’t, Gibbs. Every time I close my eyes, I see her.” Abby ran her hands over her arms as she shivered. “Who could’ve done something like that?”

“I don’t know, Abby, but we will find out.” Gibbs pulled her close to him again. He rarely displayed such open tenderness towards anyone, but Abby needed it right now.

When Tobias and McGee had heard Abby scream, they both ran to her aid. They found her at the front door. On the top step the broken body of Jenny Shepard was sprawled out on the cold floor. Jimmy had concluded that the council woman had died from massive blunt force trauma to the back of her head. He indicated that she had engaged in sexual activities just prior to her death. The DNA test he took was still outstanding. Gibbs knew leaving her on his doorstep like that was a message to him. Although they already looked at any possible connection between Jenny and Sacks and came up empty handed, they needed to do another search. The two murders were definitely linked.

Gibbs took Abby by the forearms and made her sit on the chair next to his desk. “When was the last time you fed?”

Vampires had no limits on what they ate, but they all needed fresh blood at least once a week for optimal health. Abby looked a bit gray and he knew that not only wasn’t she sleeping, she also neglected to feed on fresh blood.

Abby shrugged.

Gibbs growled, “Abby.”

“I’m sorry, Gibbs. It’s been a while. I’ve just been so busy.”

“That’s not really an excuse and you know it. Go and feed or get someone to bring you a bag or two of blood from the local blood bank. When we return, I want you properly fed. Is that understood?”

Abby lowered her head. “Yes, Gibbs.”

“Good.” He kissed her on the top of the head. “I need to get going.”

She looked up. “You found him?” There was something like hope in her voice.

“McGee believes that. As do I. We’re going to check it out to make sure and if it’s him, we’re bringing him home.”

“You’re not going to hurt him?” She looked at the Glock in his shoulder holster.

Gibbs shook his head. “He’s my mate, Abby. I will never hurt him.”

“Then why the guns?”

“He’s the prophecy, Abby. It’s just as a precaution.”

Abby nodded. “You need to keep him safe, you need to keep yourself safe.” She got to her feet. “I can’t wait to see him again.”

“Did he make such an impression on you?”

“Yes, he did. He was only seventeen Gibbs and I could see that he had a tough life, and even though he nearly ODed, there was just something about him that made him special.” Her eyes sparkled. “He sketches.” When she saw Gibbs frown, she continued. “When Jimmy sent me to help him, he had this kind of structure as a shelter and it was filled with the most amazing sketches. I wish I could see it again.

“I thought he stumbled into the Dragone district?” Gibbs hated the word, but he had to agree, the district was aptly named. It was where most of the underground activities of the dragon community took place. It was a black hole in the middle of the city that was avoided by most supernatural creatures and humans feared just the sight of it. The magic there was old, almost as old as the magic of the Council House and of his own pride lands, but it was dark and even he as Alpha over the dragons wouldn’t go in there without backup. For a human to go there and stay there was unheard of.

Abby shook her head. “That’s what Jimmy thought, but from the few hours I spent with him, I could see he lived there, Gibbs.” She cocked her head. “It left me so depressed, but he was at ease, the blackness didn’t bother him at all.”

“And that was the last time Jimmy saw him in the reflection, until now?”

“Sort of.” Abby lowered her head. “We thought he died again. Jimmy found it strange that The Mirror didn’t contact him again, even if it was to show Tony’s death, but nothing. Jimmy was convinced that the Mirror did show the reflection, but that he’d missed it. But then there was this one spark from the mirror. Jimmy couldn’t see much, but that was what inspired him to develop his magic to get away to make sure that when the Mirror reflected the prophecy, he would be notified. And then he saw the reflection now.”

Gibbs nodded. The office door opened and Fornell entered with McGee on his six. Gibbs smiled. There was something going on between his second in command and the Kitsune and he had a feeling it was something romantic. He wondered when Tobias would start showering McGee with priceless items of his hoard. He personally knew that Tobias had some beautiful pieces of jewelry in his private hoard. Fornell would treat McGee right and he had no problem if they mated. McGee had already been part of his pride and if they bonded it would only bring McGee closer.

“We should leave.” Fornell spoke up.

Gibbs nodded and then smiled with pride as McGee handed Abby a bag of blood. It seemed he wasn’t the only one that noticed Abby didn’t feed. He raised an eyebrow at her when he saw that she wanted to object to the blood.

“Thank you, McGee.”

“You needed it.” McGee placed his own kiss on the top of Abby’s head.

“Let’s go and get my mate.” Gibbs addressed Fornell and McGee. A few of his other betas would provide backup if needed, but it was decided that only the three of them would go in to get his mate. They didn’t want to scare Tony into running.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**DiNozzo Holdings**

He was still trying to wrap his mind around what the elf had told him. He wanted to roll his eyes at her, told her that she was full of shit and that she had to get out of his face, but then she blew something into his face and it was as if he could see for the first time in his life. Like in _really_ see.

DiNozzo stood with his hands thrust in his pockets and looked down from his corner office. He couldn’t keep his eyes from the sky. He’d never been a bird watcher, but now his attention stayed on the creatures that roamed the sky. He’d never in his wildest dreams thought that there could be so many different species of dragons. He couldn’t help to be in awe of them, even though they _disgusted_ him. They were majestic, if he had to say so himself. But, they posed an imminent threat to humanity, and although they might be a worthy enemy, humans would prevail. He would take the trophy of the biggest dragon out there and hang it on the wall behind him. It would be there for everyone to see. Everyone would know who he was. He would get what he wanted. He would be the most powerful man on earth.

He turned when someone entered his office. “What do you want?” He sneered, but then swallowed hard when he saw who it was. “I thought you’d be gone longer?” He fidgeted with his tie.

She huffed and rolled her eyes. “I’m an elf. Not a human.” She didn’t elaborate further. She placed something on the glass desk.

“What is that?” DiNozzo made no attempt to touch it.

“Proof.”

He found himself reaching out as she uttered the word. He was surprised when his hand shook as he picked up the single photograph. Anthony leaned against a pillar, he smiled from ear to ear. “He has his mother’s eyes.” He’d seen the face before, not long ago, but he couldn’t think where. It was something he would ponder about later.

“I thought you hated him.”

“She was a whore.” He tossed the photo back on the desk.

She smiled and walked around the desk. She came to a halt right in front of him. “A product of your loins.”

The slap echoed through the office.

She lifted her hand and dabbed the droplet of blood that gathered in the corner of her mouth. She smiled and stepped in between his legs. Before he could utter a word, she smeared the blood on his bottom lip and tinted it red. “I love violence.” She cocked her head. “But, so do you.” She stepped back and turned her back to him as it was her turn to stare out of the large windows. She stared at the flying dragons for a long time. “I’ve brought you proof, do we have a deal?”

DiNozzo licked at his bottom lip, it tingled and the blood didn’t taste coppery, but sweet. He couldn’t help but to lick it again. This time he was the one who closed the distance between them. He came to a halt next to her. “How long does this stuff last?”

“Four days, give or take. It’s the purest there is.”

“Why isn’t this common knowledge?” He referred to the drugs.

She smiled at him, but when she answered, he knew she was not talking about the drugs. “Who says it isn’t? Maybe, if you looked harder, listened closer, humans would’ve known about them.”

“What? Like you have to believe in them? Peter Pan bullshit?”

She shrugged. “It’s strange, you believe in all other supernatural creatures, you go and consult seers to find out your futures, but you can’t see what is right in front of your eyes.” She looked up as a large shadow passed over the building. A massive ruby red fire dragon flew by. “Do we have a deal?” She turned and faced him.

He stared at her. He was a business man and he knew a good deal when he saw one. And the deal she offered, suited him perfectly. It gave him all that he wanted and even more. The supernatural creatures would be oppressed, humans would rule – he would rule, and the world would finally be perfect. “How do I know that you won’t try to betray me?”

She cocked her head. “Because I told you I wouldn’t. There’s nothing more than that.”

He looked at her and then nodded. “I will hunt you down if you betray me.”

“I will kill myself, if I betray you.”

He looked at the photo on the desk again. “Bring him to me.”

She nodded. “My warriors are already on their way to get him. They will bring him here.” She smiled. “You will still give him to me?”

“Should he survive his punishment, you can have him.”

“He will.”

“He’s weak. He’s nothing like me.”

She remained silent.

“Why do you want him, again?”

“I told you. He took something from me. I want him to suffer for that.”

“Then kill him.”

“No.” She closed her eyes and held out her hands. A small black orb appeared between her palms. She rolled her hands and it grew larger. She let it grow to the size of a man’s fist before she opened her eyes. She took her hands away and the orb hung in the air. It drifted slowly towards the man before her. She lifted her hand and with lightning speed it entered his body. The reaction was instantaneous. He started to scream and fell to his knees. She closed her eyes again. The orb jumped back and landed on her palm. She chanted some words and it disappeared. He only stopped screaming when the orb was no more. She hunkered down before him. Her eyes were cold and her voice flat. “How long was that? How long did that feel to you?”

DiNozzo gasped for breath. His skin was clammy and he could feel the wetness between his legs. He struggled to talk and groaned as she grabbed his hair.

“Speak!”

There was some power in her words and he gasped. “Years, it was fucking years.”

“Of what?” She yanked at his hair again, bending his head backwards.

“Suffering, anguish, pain!”

She sneered and let go of him. “It was less than five seconds. “Your torture will be nothing to what I can do to him. You’ve made a deal with me. You will rule the world as you want, but Tony will belong to me.”

DiNozzo coughed and struggled to his feet. “Get out! Get out of my fucking office!!” He tried to grab her, but she sidestepped him easily. “I will fucking kill you!”

She laughed out loud. “No, you wouldn’t.” She moved towards the office door. “I will come for Tony. I will come for what belongs to me.” She opened the door and walked out. Not once did she look back.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**T. Maters’ Residence (Tony’s home)**

_“Boss.”_ McGee’s voice sounded through his earpiece.

“I see them, McGee.” Gibbs struggled not to growl. He had no idea why there were dark elves in this area, but it couldn’t have been a coincidence. He frowned at the thought on what the underworld would want with a human. They normally stayed away from them as they saw them as weak.

_“Another three coming from the south.”_

Tobias’ voice made him pay attention to his surroundings again. Gibbs was grateful for the extra betas he brought for backup. This was going to get messy. He looked around. He sat alone in a dark SUV across Tony’s front door. McGee and Tobias were behind him in a second SUV. He kept watch on the four elves that crept closer. He changed the channel on his radio. “I’m flying him out.”

He could hear Tobias’ groan in his ear. He knew it wasn’t the best idea, but his gut told him to get his mate out of here in the quickest possible way and flying was the only way he knew.

_“You sure?”_

“Positive.”

_“Can’t wait to see the newspaper headings in the morning. Something like, ‘wingless man flies across D.C.’”_

“Very funny. Once again, I’ll remind you that humans don’t see what is right in front of their eyes. They won’t notice him.”

_“We’ll talk about this again.”_

Gibbs grunted and switched channels again. “All teams in position. I want those elves neutralized. On my mark, go!” He jumped out of the car and jogged across the street. He was aware of Tobias and McGee on his six. In the background, he could hear the beta dragons taking care of the elves. He blocked out the noise as he reached the front door.

Tobias and McGee stood behind him. Gibbs raised his foot and kicked in the door. He went in straight. McGee covered him on the right and Tobias on the left. They worked as a perfectly well-oiled machine as they cleared the ground floor and moved to the top floor. Gibbs found it worrisome that the house seemed deprived of life. They had confirmation that there was life in the house and since all reports indicated that Tony lived alone, it had to be him, but now his dragon was getting anxious, because they couldn’t find him.

He cleared what looked like a bedroom, but by the small size, it was not the main bedroom. He could hear Tobias on the other side of the hallway, and McGee in front. He looked up just as McGee opened the last door at the end of the hall. He saw the movement from the darkened room and he ran. “McGee!” Gibbs ran at full speed. His sensitive hearing picked up the sound of a firearm being cocked.

Gibbs slammed into McGee as the roar of the firearm echoed through the house. He grunted in pain as a burning sensation spread across the back of his left shoulder. He landed hard on Kitsune, and he heard something snap just as McGee screamed out in pain. Gibbs was aware that Tobias was right next to him, his second in command roared with anger. Gibbs rolled and got off McGee. He had his own Glock in his hand when he smelled his mate.

“Tobias, stand down!” Gibbs bellowed as he saw Tobias moving towards the darkened room.

He looked on as his beta’s head snapped around. The dragon growled at him and if it wasn’t for the tense situation they found themselves in, Gibbs would’ve rolled his eyes. Instead, he growled himself. The house vibrated around him and it made Tobias stop in his tracks. “It’s my mate.” His words had the required effect as Tobias immediately stepped away from the door. Gibbs looked on as Tobias crossed the hallway and hunkered down next to them. Gibbs turned his hearing to the room. He could hear one heartbeat. Something told him that he needed to be extra careful on how he proceeded from this point forward.

Gibbs secured his firearm and tucked it back into the holster. McGee leaned against the wall with his right wrist cradled against his chest. He could see the break in the bone clearly and winced. That had to hurt. “Secure the house and get McGee out of here.” He ordered the beta.

“What are you going to do?” Tobias hissed. He still had his own weapon in his hand, although it was pointed to the floor.

“Getting my mate.” Gibbs spoke in normal tones. He wanted Tony to hear.

“You’re insane. He just tried to fucking kill us and you’re bleeding.”

Gibbs reached back and felt the sticky substance on his shoulder. “It’s already healing.” He probed the area although he couldn’t see it, and found the entry wound. He could feel the bullet just underneath his skin. He gritted on his teeth and squeezed at the spot like you would pop a pimple. It worked as the skin burst open and the bullet popped out. It landed at his back. Within seconds the wound on his shoulder healed. It only left a pink scar which would be gone in less than ten minutes.

“That’s just gross.” Tobias shuddered. He hated it when they had to do that, but it was also the only way to get a bullet out.

Gibbs grinned. He wiped his bloodstained fingers on his black jeans. “Get out of here. Make sure the house and the scene are secured. We will meet up later.” With those words, Gibbs turned and with raised hands, he approached the still darkened room.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

The moment he heard the loud banging on his front door, Tony knew he had to get away. For a moment he’d thought it was the drug squad, but he never kept drugs in the house. He only bought what he could use immediately and nothing more. He had no idea who found him, or what they wanted, but he couldn’t be caught. He wanted to kick himself for becoming compliant. He’d hurried up to the top floor, realizing too late that he trapped himself inside the house with no way in getting out. It left him with only one option – he had to fight. Tony got the nine-millimeter from its hiding space and took cover next to the wall. He would shoot first and ask questions later. He heard the three sets of footsteps as they ascended the stairs. Tony had no idea how many other people were in his house. He hoped that the full clip would be enough, he would take out as many as possible. If needed be, the last bullet would be for himself.

Tony raised the pistol as the footsteps halted in front of the door. When the door swung open he moved forward and cocked the pistol. The moment the figure became clear he pulled the trigger. He heard someone yell, the name sounded familiar, but he didn’t have the time to think about it. There was a hard thud, more yelling and Tony moved deeper into the darkened room. Depending on who or what was outside the room meant that he had the advantage in the dark since his eyes already adjusted to the lack of light.

He frowned when he realized that no one stormed the room. He could hear them as they continued to talk, he could even hear some very realistic sounding growling. It meant he was dealing with creatures and not men. He looked down at the pistol in his hand. The weapon wasn’t going to be of much help if he had to fight the supernatural. Tony wanted to throw the weapon to the side but knew that would be stupid. He tightened the grip he had on the weapon, took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the door. “Get out of my house.” He looked straight at the male in front of him. He kept the weapon raised, his voice calm and hands steady, even if he didn’t feel it.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

“My name is Gibbs. I am a Special Agent attached to the Supernatural Council. We have not come here to harm you.”

Tony snorted. “And how do I know that? You decided to kick down my door instead of knocking. I will not tell you again. Get out of my house.”

“Not without you.” Gibbs kept his hands in the air but moved closer to the door. He was not prepared to leave without his mate. He kept himself between Tony and his two pride members as they finally moved at his back towards the stairs again. He heard the gasp from his mate and he frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Tony shook his head and lowered the pistol. “Kitsune.” He whispered the single word.

Gibbs was aware that Tobias and McGee had stopped behind him. He looked over his shoulder. It was never a good idea to turn away from someone pointing a weapon at you, but he took the chance.

“I thought you were one of the good guys.” Tony lowered the weapon but remained inside the room.

“I am,” McGee spoke up.

Gibbs could hear the pain in his voice. He turned and faced Tony again. “His name is Timothy McGee. He’s one of my field agents. You helped us a lot and I know you saved his life in that alley as well.”

Tony’s breath hitched. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Gibbs smiled. “Of course you don’t.” He became serious again. “I’m asking you to please come with me. It is not safe for you here.”

Tony shook his head. “And I told you to get out of my house.”

“I will arrest you.” Gibbs didn’t want to, but he had more than enough reasons for a valid arrest. Tony had escaped from custody, although he wasn’t arrested, but he was still a person of interest. He’d also just tried to kill an agent. He knew the moment the lawyers got involved, the charges wouldn’t stick and it would harm any kind of trust relationship he wanted to build with Tony, but if the young man didn’t leave him any choice he would do that.

Tony laughed. “I don’t think so.” He raised the weapon again. “Get out.”

The coms in Gibbs’ ear came to life and he cocked his head as the outside teams reported in. All three of them tensed up with the information received. Gibbs didn’t even think of it twice as he moved into the room and with one sure movement disarmed Tony and pulled him to his chest. He couldn’t help to notice on how Tony fitted perfectly in his arms. “You can shoot me later, now we need to get out of here.” He tossed the gun to Tobias. “Get out of here. We’ll meet up later.”

Gibbs dragged Tony to the window. Tony struggled against him and Gibbs tightened his grip. “Settle down,” he ordered. His words had no effect and he got a fist against his jaw. The punch was hard enough for his head to snap back. Gibbs growled, but didn’t release the squirming man from his hold.

“Let me go!” Tony struggled hard. It was as if he was caught in a vise grip. It didn’t matter how much he tried to get free, the man that held him countered every move. Tony managed to lift himself from his feet and brought them up to press against the wall to push them both back with enough force that the man would lose the hold he had. But, it didn’t work. Tony groaned as the pressure around his ribs increased. Already his ribs felt bruised. His angst sky rocketed as his captor moved towards the large bay window. Tony saw himself being flung from the second story. The likelihood was small for him to die from the fall, but he could be seriously hurt. He struggled harder even as the man managed to open the window. He lashed out with his fists again.

Gibbs had to duck his head as a second punch came to his side, this one he managed to avoid. “If it wasn’t for the fact that you’re my mate, I would’ve considered dropping you,” he growled. Gibbs managed to get onto the ledge, with Tony still against him. He had to balance carefully as he didn’t want to fall, not with Tony in his arms. He couldn’t help to grin as he looked at the young man. He knew that if Tony could, he would try to hurt him, he even might try to kill him. It was going to be amazing courting this man. “I hope you’re not afraid of flying.” He winked and stepped off the windowsill.

The house behind them rocked as something inside exploded. The dragon turned his head and tightened the hold he had as he carried Tony in his large claw. He kept the man against his chest. He heard Tony yelling as they stepped off, but with the explosion his mate went quiet. Too quiet. A second explosion sounded as Gibbs growled. This time he didn’t look back. He found a strong current of warm air and glided upwards. It was time to take his mate home.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Dragon House**

Tony looked satisfied as the _thing_ that kidnapped him wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He still felt wobbly where he stood, but at least he had enough strength to punch the bastard right on the mouth. He had so many emotions soaring through him. He wanted to ask what it was, because he couldn’t see the true form. After what had happened, he was sure the man called Gibbs was not human. Tony needed to know what had happened at his house, but at the same time he also wanted to flee. He wouldn’t admit to it, but as he hung in the air surrounded by nothingness he felt safe. It didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense. He stormed forward and when he found his way blocked, he lashed out.

Tony didn’t even try to fight clean. Instead, he used every trick he learned while he lived on the streets. The beast countered every kick or punch he tried. When he tried to propel himself over to land at its back, the thing shifted, and he landed harmlessly on the other side. The thing had turned, and Tony growled out in anger as it grinned at him. He lashed out with a violent kick and found himself on his back as it grabbed hold of his ankle and brought him down to the floor.

He rolled out of the grip and leaped to his feet. He jumped forward and landed several body punches. Tony moved back as his abductor came towards him. He dodged a swung-out arm and rolled to the other side of the room. He didn’t understand the purpose of the room, except that it was enormous, but empty. Tony continued to move backwards towards the double doors at his back. The thing propelled towards him and he glided sideways. He gritted his teeth when he realized that the beast was trying to keep him away from the door. That action spurred him on. If he was being kept from the door it meant it was a way out. He crouched to the floor and when the beast got close enough Tony barreled down at him. They collided hard. Tony lost his ability to breathe as he slammed into the rock-solid body. His attempt to flip over it misfired and he landed hard on his back. He gasped for air as the beast pinned him to the floor. He lifted his hips in an attempt to flip it over his head, but found his arms pinned above his head. Ice cold blue eyes filled with something he couldn’t decipher stared down at him.

“Give up.”

“No!” Tony roared and pushed upwards, but with no success. He stayed pinned to the floor.

The thing growled from deep within its chest and Tony shuddered.

“I will not harm you.”

Tony huffed with annoyance. “You’ve already done so.” It was as if his words burned the thing on top of him. It leaped to its feet and back away from where Tony was still on the floor. The reaction shocked Tony and for a second, he felt guilty, but he got over the feeling quickly and scrambled to his feet. The beast gave a step towards him, and Tony stepped back. He looked on as it raised its hands as if it wanted to calm him down. “Don’t. I don’t want to hear anything that you want to say. You kidnapped me. You’ve got no right to hold me, not even if you’re a Very Special Agent. Let me go. Now!”

Gibbs wanted to speak up, but the door burst open and before he could utter a word, Abby darted in and ran at full speed towards Tony. Before dragon or man could react, she jumped into Tony’s arms and hugged him tight.

“You’re alive, you’re alive! I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you again, Tony! I’ve thought about you so much these past twelve years. I went looking for you, but I couldn’t find you. You’re all grown up.” She lifted her head from where it rested against his shoulder. “And sexy as hell.” She added with a grin.

Tony frowned as he looked at the Goth like creature that hung around his neck. A smile appeared on his face. “Spotted bat. Abby.” He grinned. “You saved my life.” It was his turn to hug her.

“And you disappeared from mine.” She hugged him again. “I’m so glad to see that you’re doing okay. Where did you go to?”

Tony looked stricken at the question and lowered her to the floor and took a few steps back. “Nowhere, I just had to get away.” His hands shook slightly as he rubbed his face.

“Tony?” Abby asked in concern as she stepped forward to close the distance between them again.

“No.” He pushed her away. “Just leave it be. It’s got nothing to do with you!” He exclaimed red faced.

Abby flinched.

“Hey!” Gibbs growled. Tony might be his mate, but he would not let the man talk to Abby like that. No one had the right to talk to Abby in such a way.

Tony jumped. He looked frightened at Abby and then at Gibbs. Before either one could react, he sprinted towards the door. He was aware the Abby yelled at him, and he could hear Gibbs’ thundering steps behind him. Tony ran through the door and found himself in another large room. He didn’t hesitate and ran to the second door. He hoped that it would lead outside. Tony grabbed hold of the doorknob and yanked it open. He leaped out and ran smack into an immovable object. The force with which he ran into the thing made him stumble backwards. He could feel himself falling and the floor rushed up quickly to meet his body. Tony landed hard and groaned as his back bore the impact of the fall. “Fuck,” he hissed as he scrambled back to his feet again. The face belonged to one of those he saw at his house. He dodged to the right and as the thing made a grab for him, he darted to the left. He had always been quick on his feet and he managed to get past the beast and headed out the door.

A third door opened and Tony increased his speed. A figure appeared, long robes bellowed behind it with a pointy hat securely on its head. Tony looked around. He wouldn’t get past a mage. He looked for a window. It was the only choice left to him. He changed course when a single word reached his ears.

 _‘Dormio.’_ His eyes grew heavy and before he could blink, the world around him disappeared and he faded into the black.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**DiNozzo Holdings**

DiNozzo looked on as the dark elf called Ziva personally took the heads of six of her own warriors. On any other day he would’ve been impressed, but now he was only pissed. He looked at her down his nose. “Who is going to clean this mess?” He took in the blood that spilled on the wooden floor and loose rugs. She growled at him, snapped her fingers and a group of goblins appeared. Without a word being said they started cleaning up the mess. Not once did they hesitate as they stuffed the dead elves into body bags with the rugs and all. He looked on as two of the goblins sprinkled white powder over the wooden floor. It bubbled and sizzled, but then it evaporated, and the floors were left clean. They placed the last body in a bag and with another click of Ziva’s fingers they disappeared. It was a neat trick. “That still doesn’t make things right.” He seethed with anger.

“Put a shoe in it, or a sock, whatever.” Ziva grumbled. She herself was barely keeping her fury intact.

“How dare you talk to me in that manner?” DiNozzo closed the distance between them and grabbed her by the arm and shook her hard.

She muttered a few words under her breath and watched with a bored expression on her face as the hand on her arm turned red.

“FUCK!” DiNozzo yanked his hand away. The burning sensation dissipated immediately.

“You should take note not to touch me in future. Your hand might not be the only thing that burns the next time.”

“You took an oath to obey me.”

Ziva snickered. “No, I promised not to betray you. I took no oath to obey you. And I did not give you permission to threaten, assault or treat me as one of your minions. You _will_ respect me.”

DiNozzo laughed out loud. “And if I don’t?”

Ziva smiled sweetly as she stepped into his personal space. “Then you will learn why I am the queen of the dark Elves. It is not just an honorary title.” Her eyes glowed yellow for a few seconds.

“Your team screwed up.”

This time she laughed out loud. “My team?” She shook her head. “The only reason why it was only my team in your office is because yours managed to blow themselves up. None of them survived. I killed mine because they didn’t deliver Tony. Yours died without completing once single task. Pathetic.”

DiNozzo remained silent. She was right.

She circled him; her hand rested on his shoulder. “Luckily for you, I know exactly where he is.”

“Where? Why haven’t you told me this before?”

Ziva shook her head. “Remember human, I don’t owe you anything.” She took the seat behind his desk again and looked out of the large window. An emerald green dragon flew past. By its size it looked juvenile. Ziva made a mental note for herself. She should go and check on her traps. She was running low on dragon blood and that was never a good thing. She returned her attention to the human before her. “I will however, answer your question. He’s at Dragon House. And I know because I personally placed a tracking spell on him. One that cannot be broken without my blood.”

DiNozzo frowned. He had heard of the Council House before, but not of this so-called Dragon House. “What is this Dragon House?”

“It’s where Gibbs and his minions live. It’s where your son is right now.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

She grabbed him by his neck and shook him hard. “Don’t be stupid, human! They will have tripled their guard. We need to play it cool and take our time. We will get him when they least expect it.” She didn’t add that she had one more ace up her sleeve. One she wasn’t prepared to share with anyone, least of all a _human_.

“How long do we have to wait?” DiNozzo asked impatiently as rubbed his neck.

Ziva smiled. “Not long, not long at all.”

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Dragon House: Late at night**

“Abby, he’s not going to wake up any sooner if you stare at him the whole time.”

Abby turned and glared at her friend. “Then just how long do you think he’ll still be unconscious, Mage Palmer?”

Jimmy sighed. “He’s not unconscious, Abby, he’s sleeping.”

He knew she was pissed at him, but what other choice did he have? He couldn’t let Tony run off into the unknown, not while there were creatures after him. And with the dark Elven warriors involved, it meant that the only safe place for Tony was here at Dragon House. He just wished Abby understood it like that.

“Sleeping? Sleeping? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Mage Palmer but he’s been _sleeping_ for almost twelve hours. That’s not sleeping, Mage Palmer. That’s classified as being unconscious.”

“Abby.” Jimmy groaned. He had a splitting headache and Abby wasn’t making things any better. He gently touched his right eye. It still stung, and he could feel the puffiness beneath his fingers. The moment Tony dropped, Gibbs was on top of him. Before anyone could haul him away, he’d punched Jimmy on the eye. He’d thought that the dragon was going to kill him, but at least he’d given him the chance to explain and that made Gibbs calm down. Abby, on the other hand was still fairly pissed at him.

“No, Mage Palmer, just no. Don’t get me wrong, I know you tried to do good, but this, this is not good.” She lifted Tony’s arm from the bed and the limp flopped back onto the covers. “This is almost _dead_ , Mage Palmer.”

“Damn it, Abby, stop calling me Mage Palmer!” Jimmy snapped. “If you don’t I swear I will turn you into a goat. A blearing stinking goat.”

Abby’s mouth fell open and her eyes dimmed with tears. She sniffled hard.

Jimmy sighed. “No, Abby, don’t cry. I’m sorry. I won’t turn you into a goat, please don’t cry.” He pulled her closer and held her tight. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’m just so stressed out. I am truly sorry.”

She patted him on the shoulder. “I understand, Jimmy. I’m sorry too. I know you wouldn’t hurt Tony. I’m just so scared. I mean we’ve only found him now, I don’t want to lose him.”

Jimmy pushed her away from his chest and held her by the arms. “Are you afraid that he might die, Abby?” He couldn’t understand why else she would be afraid.

Abby slowly nodded her head. “I mean, just think how many times throughout the ages did he die, Jimmy. You know how fragile human beings are.”

Jimmy smiled. “He’s not dying now, Abby. I promise. Not on my watch.”

“And neither on my watch.”

Both turned at the voice. They’d forgotten that Gibbs was in the room with them. The dragon had refused to leave his mate’s side.

Abby smiled. “Thank you, Gibbs.”

“Thank you, Gibbs.” Jimmy repeated his friend’s words.

Gibbs nodded at them. A groan from the bed made all three of them to leap to their feet.

“Tony?” Jimmy squeezed the man’s hand. “Wake up, Tony. Wake up.”

They all three smiled as Tony’s eyes fluttered open and he stared wide eyed at them.

“Where am I?”

“Safe,” Gibbs spoke up first. He came to stand at the end of the bed.

“You kidnapped me.” Tony tried to sit up in bed. He looked around and spotted the door behind the thing that stood before him.

Abby was the one who pushed him back. “Oh no, mister. You’re staying put. And you’re listening to what Gibbs has to say to you before you say a word.” She pointed her finger at him. “Understood.”

Tony opened his mouth, but she pressed the palm of her hand against his mouth. “No words. Nod if you understand.”

Tony glared at her and Abby glared back.

Jimmy grinned. “Just nod, Tony. Abby will never give up.”

“Jimmy!” Abby mocked glared at him.

“What, Abby? It’s true.” Jimmy shrugged. “I promise you’re safe. Between all of us here, you know Abby, and you must remember what she did for you. She will not harm you. We will not harm you. Just give us a chance to explain, please.”

Tony looked at the spotted bat, the mage and whatever the hell the creature was, although he still looked entirely human. He tried not to dwell on the fact that something inside of him screamed that the sexy being needed to come closer. He pushed that thought firmly down and looked at them again. They all looked sincere. He finally nodded once.

“Thank you.” Abby removed her hand.

“What are you?” Tony asked before he could be stopped. He lifted his eyes to look Gibbs in the eye. They were stunningly beautiful. He managed not to blush, but it was a close call.

“A dragon.”

“Dragon?” Tony shook his head. “Bull shit, dragons don’t exist. Try again.” He started to doubt his decision to listen to what they had to say. Not if they were still trying to play mind games.

“They do. I promise you, they do.” Gibbs took his seat on the edge of the bed. He reached for Tony’s hand. He wanted to smile from ear to ear when the man didn’t withdraw his hand. “Let me explain.” Tony nodded, and Gibbs relaxed. He took a deep breath and told Tony the tale of dragons.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Inner Oracle Chambers**

Ducky walked around his large set of rooms and gently touched some of the many knickknacks he’d gathered over the ages. Some were of good memories, but there were those that he kept that reminded him of the bad times as well. Of the numerous mistakes he had made. He picked up a shell of a tortoise and smiled. Technically, it didn’t belong to him, but he could never part with it before. Perhaps now it would be the correct time. The thought to whom the shell belonged warmed his heart. It was the first stone his apprentice transformed into something else. He’d been so proud of him that day. He was still proud of him even on this day.

Ducky bowed his head in shame as he made his way over to the large mahogany desk and took his seat behind it. He had made several mistakes these past decades. Most, he did out of loyalty, others out of fear. But, now was not the time to dwell on them. Ducky took out a quill and smiled. He was old, and so were the things he penned with. He could already see Mage Palmer’s eyes growing large when he read the letter. His apprentice would immediately know what he used to write the letter with. Ducky sighed. He kept on thinking of Mage Palmer as _his_ apprentice, but that was no longer the position. Palmer would never be his apprentice anymore, but not for the reasons the younger mage might think. Ducky squared his shoulders. It was time that he did his thing – the right thing. Penning this letter would be the first, but not the last. He shuddered as he thought about how things might end. But, now was not the time to think about the future. He dipped the quill in the ink and started writing. With this letter he knew it was the beginning of the end.

Time passed and so did the level in the ink pot before he finally lifted his head and placed the quill down. It took him longer than he’d thought it would, but he had to make sure that everything he knew had been written down. He took some of the powdered cuttlefish bone and sprinkled it over the ink to dry it up. He shook the remainder of the pounce back in its container and placed the letter back on the desk. Ducky reached for an envelope and folded the paper with sure movements and inserted it in the envelope. Ducky took his signet ring from the drawer and placed it on the desk. He reached for the wax stick and with a match he lit the tip and let the hot wax drip onto the envelope. When he had enough wax, he placed the stick to the side and pressed the signet ring into the hot wax. Ten seconds later he removed the signet ring and looked down at the Oracle crest that now sealed the letter. It was done. Ducky replaced the signet ring and rose to his feet with the letter in hand. It was time for his next move.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Dragon House: 2 days later**

Tony stared out of the large window and looked down at the magnificent gardens that sprawled out in front of him. For as far as he could see there were different shades of green. He could hear the water of a fountain and if he turned his head to the right, he could see the fountain. He sighed deeply. He still couldn’t believe what they’ve told him, but they went as far as to show him different documents and books, some of which he could see were ancient. For every statement they made and for every counter statement he uttered they had proof. In short – dragons did exist. They were not a myth. It still bothered him that he couldn’t see a dragon’s true form. Gibbs had tried to explain, but it was clear that he wasn’t someone who had the patience to deal with his questions. Not that he didn’t want to, he just didn’t know how.

Jimmy explained it with a lot of Abby’s input. He smiled when he thought about the vampire. She was small and highly hyperactive, but she was clever, and it was clear that she had a heart of gold. And she was also the one who explained it the best. Humans were, unfortunately, very self-absorbed. They had the general attitude of _‘me, myself and I’_. They would look straight at you and not _see_ you for who you really were. They were quick to point fingers and accept the bad in one another more easily than the good. Dragons were seen as being pure. Yes, they had a temper like no other creature in the world, but they were the first creatures created by the gods and had a special place in the universe. Because humans didn’t see the purity of a creature, they couldn’t see dragons. It didn’t explain why they saw dragons in their human form, but when he asked, none of them had an answer to that question.

He’d asked them about the size of an average dragon. And Abby had been quick to explain to him that there were hundreds of different species of dragons and their size ranged from something like a standard sedan to a house. She’d looked at Gibbs when he referred to dragons being as large as a house. He wanted to know how people then didn’t walk straight into a shifted dragon since they couldn’t be seen. Gibbs was the one who smiled and answered. It seemed like dragons would rather sit on the top of roofs than land in the middle of a sidewalk. If that happened humans’ instinct kicked in and they would avoid the area. That’s why sometimes the one side of a street was more crowded than the other side. There were laws in place about dragons landing in the middle of a sidewalk, but just as in other creatures, you did get your bad apples.

Tony stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall. He’d told them that he needed time and although he could see that Gibbs had wanted him to accept everything they told him, the dragon had nodded and even told him to take his time. Unfortunately, Tony still didn’t know how much time he’d need to work through this. He also needed a hit. It felt like ages ago that he made himself homemade pasta and gotten high. Normally it would be easy to either ignore the craving or stay busy with something else, but now he had nothing to do. His mind kept on running in circles between what he was told, what he had to do and the strange feelings he felt towards the dragon called Gibbs. Tony wanted to scream out of frustration. He banged his head against the wall. There was another pressing matter that he needed to attend. He had a painting to complete, or should he say to start since he knew with his house blown up, his previous attempts were no longer in existence. The painting itself would not take long to complete, that was once he got the dragon part done, but the aging process of the painting, that was going to take time. Time that was running out. He needed at least a solid month and a half for the aging process to work. The loss of his house made him cringe. His thoughts turned to drugs again and he pushed them away. Not now. He had to stay focused. Maybe now that he knew dragons were indeed real, he’d be able to get the dragon to cooperate and complete the painting. It sounded strange in his mind to think that it was the dragon that needed to cooperate, but he knew it was him. He wondered if that had something to do with him and the prophecy. He shuddered. He didn’t want to think about _that_ revelation, but it was too late now.

It looked like dragons and mages had been together for as long as either could remember and that all because of a certain prophecy. A prophecy, which, if he had to believe Jimmy, revolved around him. Tony had found it strange that Abby, who wanted to tell him everything about anything, was the one to clam up when the prophecy part of things got mentioned. She really seemed uncomfortable with the conversation and when she mentioned the person called the Oracle, both Jimmy and Gibbs actually growled at her. He’d tried to inquire about the _Oracle_ himself, but Jimmy only shook his head and Gibbs glared at him long enough that he became uncomfortable and dropped the idea of finding out more.

Tony got pulled out of his musings by a knock on the door. He turned. “Come in.” He stayed where he was. A throat got cleared behind him and he turned. “You’re freaking old.” Tony blushed. “Sorry, that was extremely rude of me. I do apologize.”

The man with the wired rim spectacles, well fitted suit and bow tie smiled at him. “You are indeed very special.”

Tony cocked his head. “You’re the Oracle.”

“I am indeed.” The old man came closer. “And you are the Prophecy.”

Tony shrugged. “I always thought a prophecy was something like a prediction that needed to be fulfilled, and not a human or an object. If, what everyone says is true, shouldn’t I be referred to as the human, person, or man mentioned in the prophecy and not as the prophecy per se?”

“It is a complicated matter.”

Tony nodded. It seemed like he wasn’t going to get an answer to his question. “What can I do for you, Oracle?”

“Ducky, please, call me Ducky.”

“Ducky?” Tony grinned. “There must be a story behind that name.” He indicated to the chairs that stood to the side. “Please, have a seat.”

Ducky bowed lightly and sat down. “Yes, there are indeed. There is the simple explanation and then the not so simple one.” A small smile appeared on his own face.

“Then, please, tell me both reasons.” Tony leaned forward.

“If you so wish.” Ducky sighed. “My lineage is a very old one. One that, if you had the time, could be traced back to the beginning of the world. But, that is not the story here today.” He cleared his throat. “My last name, or should I say the name of my clan is Mallard.”

Tony’s eyes grew wide. “Like in the duck.” He smiled.

“Indeed, like in the duck.”

“So, were you named after the duck, or was the duck named after you?” Tony’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

Ducky huffed. “It was my great, great, great.” Ducky stopped. “There are just too many greats’ to count. Let us keep it simple and say it was one of my forefathers that came across that particular duck specie and named it after himself.”

“So the man came first.”

Ducky cocked his head. “Why do I have the feeling that you just compared us and the ducks to the question of the chicken and the egg?”

Tony’s cheeks turned a dusty shade of pink. “Sorry.”

“No need to be sorry, boy. No need at all.”

Tony nodded. “Are you still willing to share with me the second explanation, although, in all honesty, I’m not sure if it’s the simple one or the not so simple one that is left.”

“You, young man, are a breath of fresh air. The council will not know what hit them.” Ducky straightened up. “But, that is not a matter for today.” He cleared his throat. “Believe it or not, that was the simple explanation.”

Tony wanted to ask about the council, but he had a feeling that he would not get any answers to his questions. “Well, hit me with it.” He couldn’t wait to hear the other explanation.

“From what I understand, you can see my true form, correct?”

Tony nodded. “Yes, and once again, I do apologize for being rude about your age.”

Ducky held up his hand. “I do assure you, there is no need to apologize.” When Tony nodded, he continued. “There is a difference between a wizard and a mage. A wizard is someone who can be taught to do certain _tricks_ , if I can call it that. Mages on the other hand, are born. You are born with the power within you and as you grow that power grows with you. But, you are essentially still untrained and more likely to blow yourself and everyone around you to pieces if you do not train. There are different levels of mages, starting at the bottom as an apprentice and moving on to what is referred to as a Mage, first class. Now, each level can take up to a few hundred years to accomplish. A lot is expected from you in those years. One of the things you need to do is to create life. And before you get excited, I am not talking about creating men, but something simpler. Like an egg.”

“An egg? That is simple?”

“It is a simple form of life.”

Tony nodded. “Except, you had a wild streak in you, didn’t you, Ducky?” He prodded gently.

Ducky nodded. “Let us say that I was over-ambitious.”

“And instead of an egg, you took it further.”

Ducky shook his head. “No, no, not that far. I created an egg.”

“It hatched.” Tony clapped his hands.

“Indeed, it did.”

“And you became the father to a duckling.” Tony laughed.

“And with my last name, you can imagine what happened.”

“I can.” Tony leaned back against his chair. “Thank you for sharing this with me, Ducky.”

Ducky nodded.

“Are you going to tell me about the prophecy? Other than the fact that it’s about me, that is.”

For a long time, Ducky stared at Tony before he finally spoke up. “Prophecies have a tendency of not getting fulfilled if they are spoken about too openly. Variables come into play, changing the whole sequence of events that would’ve fulfilled the prophecy in a certain way.”

“You’re not going to tell me.”

Ducky shook his head. “That is not what I said, young man. I only stated that if one talks too much about a prophecy, things tend to go wrong.”

“Ducky, you’re confusing me. Are you going to tell me or not?”

“The impatience of youth.” Ducky shook his head. “I never intended to tell you, young Anthony, but after spending some time with you, I came to the conclusion that I would be in the wrong if I did not tell you. However, I cannot tell you everything as the prophecy has changed and is still changing as we are speaking here.”

“Am I going to die?” Tony had no idea where the question came from.

“There is a great possibility that you might.”

“You like giving it straight, don’t you, Ducky?”

“Would it help if I sugar-coated it, Anthony?”

“I assume not. Still, it’s not easy to hear that you might die. Especially in those circumstances which you had no input in.”

“We all need to die one or other time.”

“Says the man who is cousins to Father Time himself, I believe.” Tony managed to say it with a smile.

“Pfft,” Ducky rolled his eyes. “You do know that I am not _that_ old.” He came to his feet. “As for the prophecy, my dear. There is nothing much to say and too much to understand. There is a shift in the balance of the universe. You play an integral role in that balance. How that balance shift will be up to you.”

“How?” He also came to his feet.

“By making the right choices.” Ducky took out his hand from his pocket and before Tony could respond, he blew something in his face. He looked on as Tony gasped for air and then the human crumbled to the floor. A magical doorway opened behind him and a hooded figure moved into the room. Ducky could see nothing but darkness from the other side.

“You’ve kept your promise, old man.”

“You left me no choice. I told you, I did not want anything to do with this.”

“And yet, here we are.” The figure moved deeper into the room and came to a halt next to the lifeless body. It leaned in and picked the body up as if it weighed nothing. It walked towards the doorway it created.

“Wait!” Ducky held up a hand.

The figure turned around. “What?”

“What about your promise?”

The figure smiled and nodded its head. “You kept your side of the bargain and we ours. Your apprentice will not be harmed. We have what we wanted.” It turned back, and with the man in his arms it left the room as silently as it entered. The doorway closed behind them, leaving Ducky alone.

Ducky stood in the middle of the room. The shadows lengthened around him, but he did not move. He had done a terrible thing, but if it was asked of him again, he would not hesitate to make the same choice twice. What was done was done, now it was time for the universe to decide to which side the balance should go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Dormio = be asleep_


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Council House: 3 days later**

“I don’t give a fuck if you’re the acting queen of England, Vance. You have no say over me. You have no say about any dragon in my pride and you definitely have no say in how I conduct this investigation.” Gibbs stood toe to toe with the acting head of the council, Leon Vance. He was a Night Crawler. They looked human, but had the ability to abseil tall buildings without any ropes or harnesses. They could squeeze into tight spaces and had superior vision. They were very proud creatures and had a good sense of accountability. They were, however, very persistent in following rules. Gibbs normally found them to be a pain in the butt.

“What you are proposing, Alpha Gibbs is preposterous. It is against all the fundamental laws that we as a supernatural society uphold.” Vance didn’t back down.

“I am not proposing anything. I am telling you and this council how this will work.” Gibbs ignored the murmurs of the councilors around them.

“And we have the right to veto such decision.”

Gibbs grinned, his eyes flashed with rage. “No, you have not. I have informed this council that I have found my first mate. Since it had been verified this council no longer has the power to do anything, let alone to veto any decision I might take.”

Vance shook his head. “It has not been verified.”

Gibbs growled and he could smell the fear of the creatures around him. “What, because the Oracle did not verify it, you’re questioning my instinct? Do I remind you that it was the fucking Oracle who’s responsible for the disappearance of my mate?”

“Until the investigation has been finalized you have no proof to that.”

Gibbs reached out and lifted the Night Crawler off his feet. “My mate disappeared from a closed room. The only other occupant in that room at that time was the Oracle. Do not come and tell me I have no proof.” He shook Vance hard and then dropped him to the floor. The Night Crawler landed on his feet.

“You are not thinking rationally, Alpha Gibbs. We, as the council, have voted and found you to be emotionally unstable. We have therefore decided that until further notice to relieve you of all duties you might have. You are to be escorted to the Pride Estates where you will be kept abreast of the situation as we see fit.” Vance indicated to a guard that stood to the side. “Please, go quietly and do not make a scene. It’s in your best interest that you do not do that.”

Gibbs roared even before the guard could move forward. His roar thundered through the room and the doors to the council room opened with a bang. Fornell filled the doorway. Behind him stood another three beta dragons. “This council has been disbanded. You, and the rest of the councilors will be escorted from these premises.”

Vance paled and fisted his hands. “You can’t do that. You don’t have the authority to do that.”

“Yes, Alpha Dragon Gibbs can do that.” A voice spoke from the back and Jimmy stepped out from behind the beta dragons. He moved to the front. A nervous murmur started up through the councilors.

Vance sneered. “You are just an apprentice, and from what I understood, an apprentice no more. The Oracle got rid of you.”

Gibbs growled deep from his chest. He bowed his head as the young mage stopped before them. Gibbs turned and looked at Vance. “Look carefully, Vance. He no longer wears the robes of a mere apprentice. He is the new Oracle. He is _your_ Oracle.”

“Impossible!”

“No, it’s not.” Fornell stepped forward. “After the traitorous acts of Mage Mallard came to light, the Council of Mages had an emergency sitting. By a unanimous vote Mage Palmer has been promoted to Oracle.”

He handed a rolled-up scroll to Vance. He ignored Gibbs’ eye-roll. He knew his Alpha would have something to say about the mages using scrolls instead of normal notices. He looked on as Vance ripped the scroll open and read the message sent to the council. By the way the Night Crawler gripped the paper, he knew the councilor was not impressed with what he read.

Vance had to swallow more than once before he could nod. He turned and addressed the rest of the council. “It’s my honor to present to you, Oracle Palmer. Mage Mallard has been removed from his position as Oracle with immediate effect.” He turned again and bowed to the new Oracle. “We are here to serve you, as you are here to serve the Council.”

Jimmy nodded his head. When he spoke up, his voice was strong. “Thank you, councilor Vance. It is true, the council and the oracle have always worked side by side, but through the ages, a misconception grew and became almost law. A misconception that I want to end now. The Oracle does not serve the Council.” He held up his hand as the different councilors started yelling. They seemed to ignore him, until Gibbs roared again and the hall became silent. Jimmy nodded his thanks to Gibbs and continued. “The Oracle is the mediator between the council and the dragons. The Oracle answers to no one, but the council answers to the Oracle.” Jimmy squared his shoulders when Vance opened his mouth to argue. “You have been dismissed, councilor Vance. Please vacate the premises.” He turned his back on the creature and bowed his head to Gibbs. “I have a message from my council, which I would share with you in private. I promise it will not take long. I know you need to find your mate.”

Gibbs nodded. “Thank you, Oracle.” He bowed deeply. It seemed that he underestimated the young Mage. Jimmy Palmer was not a push over. It suited him fine. The new Oracle would need a backbone if he stood next to him in order to find his mate. Gibbs stepped to the side for the Oracle to walk pass. He wondered what the Mage Council wanted from him. But there was only one way to find out. Gibbs followed the Oracle out the meeting room and headed for the nearest office.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Gibbs closed the door behind Palmer. He’d left Fornell and the other betas outside the room to keep watch. “You know I’m not one for small talk, Oracle, so let me come to the point and congratulate you on this appointment.”

Jimmy blushed and grinned. “It feels strange, Alpha Gibbs to be addressed in such a manner.” He became serious. “I am just saddened that it had to happen under circumstances like this.”

Gibbs nodded. “You’ve grown a lot, Palmer.” He held up his hand. “I do apologize, I mean Oracle.”

“Thank you, Alpha Gibbs. I do not mind if you call me Palmer. In a way it grounds me.” When Jimmy noted that Gibbs didn’t sit down, he wanted to roll his eyes. He never realized how much ceremony surrounded the Oracle. He sat down and indicated for Gibbs to do the same. “I know we don’t have much time, so let me share my message with you. You have a mate to find.”

Gibbs took his seat. “Please, continue.”

“The Mage Council stands behind you, Alpha Gibbs. Already our most senior mages have been sent out to search for Mage Mallard. They have all been instructed to do whatever it takes, short of using deadly force to bring him in. You will be notified the moment he is found.”

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. He didn’t think he’d have the Council of Mages’ backing with this. They were a tightly knitted group, which usually banded together against any outside influence. “I thank you.”

Jimmy relaxed. “I will also personally search for Tony, Alpha Gibbs. I will not rest until he’s safely returned to your side.”

Gibbs had no words as he came to his feet. He knew he was not following protocol in standing up first and bringing the conversation to a close, but he had a feeling Palmer understood. “Will you be working from here?”

Jimmy blanched. “No, Alpha Gibbs. I do not think I can use the Oracle’s inner chambers at this stage. I will return with you to Dragon House. That is where my sanctuary is. I will be able to concentrate better there than any other place.”

“Thank you again, Oracle.” Gibbs exited the office and left.

Jimmy took a deep breath and for the first time since he walked into the meeting room, he let his emotions show. He couldn’t help but to shudder before a sob escaped from his chest and he cried. He knew no one would disturb him, the beta dragons that stood guard would see to that. He cried for a new friend that had disappeared. A friend that he promised was safe. However, he also cried for an old friend. A mentor, a father. A mage who he looked up to and respected with everything he had in him. Never in his life did he think that Ducky would betray him, the Council of Mages or Gibbs in such a manner. It took him a long time to believe it, he still had trouble in believing it, but the facts were clear. Ducky was involved in Tony’s disappearance and was now on the run. He just wished he knew what the reason was. Why did Ducky betray them? It didn’t make any sense.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**DiNozzo Holdings: Sub-basement**

“I really thought you were dead. You are like a weed. You keep on coming back, refusing to die, to stay dead.” The sound of flesh connecting with flesh sounded through the vast space. DiNozzo walked around the body that was suspended in the air. He loved that magic could be used to tie someone down and yet make it seem if they were totally free, except for that fact that they couldn’t move. Not even an inch. He punched him in the left kidney and smirked as his so called _son_ groaned in pain. He followed it up with another jab to the right kidney and delivered a double punch to the back of his head.

He circled Tony again, but frowned when he saw the young man he hated with everything in him smile. “What’s so fucking funny?”

“You.” Tony spat out the blood that gathered in his mouth. “Since I can remember you tried to get rid of me. Tried to kill me, but you never succeed. It’s not me who’s the weed, _dad_ , it’s you that’s weak. You couldn’t even succeed in killing a boy.” He grinned again. “You thought I’d died and instead of making sure you left and I got out. I was twelve years old and I got away. You failed.”

DiNozzo’s face turned red with fury. He lunged forward and pummeled Tony with fists. He felt the tiny bones in his hands gave way as he continued to assault Tony again and again.

Tony’s body flared in pain. The magic bonds that held him in place made sure that he couldn’t escape the pain as he hung merciless in the air. He closed his eyes and prayed for death.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Witches’ district**

“You’ve got some balls coming here, old man.” Ziva rose from where she meditated on the floor and sauntered to where the Mage stood. “What do you want?”

“To make sure you keep your end of the bargain.”

Ziva laughed and shook her head. “That’s not the reason why you’re here. Let me ask you again. What do you want, Oracle Mallard?”

Ducky hissed. “Do not you dare address me in that manner. You have no right.”

“Struck a nerve, did I?” Ziva shrugged. “You’ve done what was asked from you. My warrior told you that your apprentice is safe. Leave.” She turned away from him.

“Why?”

Ziva stayed with her back turned to him. She remained quiet.

“Do you even know why?”

She turned around slowly. “I don’t owe you any explanation. Get out.” Her eyes flashed with rage.

Ducky lifted his hand and with a flick of his wrist, he sent her flying across the room. She slammed hard into the wall. “Why?” He remained calm.

Ziva stumbled away from the wall. She raised her hand and felt the blood at the back of her head. She licked the blood from her fingers and grinned. “It will be my pleasure to kill you.” She mumbled under her breath and the small black orb appeared in her hands.

Ducky laughed. “Is that the best you can do, Ziva?” He made a sweeping gesture with his hand and the black orb disappeared. “You forget, Ziva. I am not a mere wizard. I do not do magic tricks. I am a First Order Mage. I am now much older and stronger than you since our first meeting all those years ago. Answer my question and I will leave. Refuse and suffer the consequences.” He completed another sweeping motion with his hand.

Ziva was forced to her knees by an unseen force. She grunted and tried to push up against it, but it was too strong. The force pushed her downwards as if it was going to crush her into the floor. She could feel the immense pressure on top of her body. Her bones started to ache and she screamed out of frustration.

“Tell me!”

“Because it’s supposed to be mine. Not his, mine!” She screamed and lunged to her feet as the pressure around her body disappeared.

For a moment, Ducky frowned. “You are the missing link in the prophecy.” He stumbled back. He looked up just as Ziva flung herself at him. The dagger in her hand was covered in poison. Ducky clapped his hands and a shockwave spread across the room. It tossed Ziva to the side and he disappeared.

Ziva threw the dagger down and screamed out of frustration as it landed with a thud on the floor. She wanted to go after the mage. She wanted to skin him alive, but there wasn’t time. Now it was the time to take her revenge. No one knew the real reason on why she wanted Tony dead. That reason was for her and her alone. She had waited ages for this chance and finally, nothing was going to stand in her way. Finally, the weakling was thrown out into the world, fate allowing him to live longer even getting in reach of fulfilling the prophecy, but she would step in. She would be the one to be written about in the coming ages and not a human nor the one called _father_ would stand in her way.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Dragon House: 5 days later**

“Fuck,” McGee cursed under his breath as he leaped to his feet. “Gibbs!” He looked around and cursed again when he realized that the office was empty. He didn’t have the time to look for the Alpha dragon. Sometimes he wished the dragon would just stay put. But then on the other hand, he could understand why Gibbs wasn’t here. If it was his mate missing he wouldn’t have been able to sit and do nothing either.

He reached for his phone but the office door flung open and Gibbs marched in.

“I’ve got something.” He held up a single sheet of paper.

Gibbs frowned. “What?” He looked behind him and sighed. “Don’t just stand there, Bishop. Come on in. I don’t bite and as far as I know, neither does McGee.”

McGee frowned and stared at the door. He smelled her first. “Bishop?” He sounded surprised.

“Yeah, Bishop. Seems like you’re not the only one who got something. Found her outside pacing up and down. She babbles a lot.”

McGee managed not to smile. He knew Gibbs wanted the facts and nothing more. The fact that he said Bishop babbled meant she wanted to tell him more than what he needed. He found her hovering at the door. She smelled of grass and wild flowers. “Come in, Bishop.”

He ignored Gibbs for a moment. McGee looked on as Bishop hesitantly walked into the large office. He pulled out his own chair and indicated for her to sit. “What did you find?”

Bishop looked at the dragon and Kitsune before her and swallowed hard. She took a deep breath and then started to talk. “I couldn’t get it out of my mind on who would want to kill Merkel, except of course he had a lot of enemies and they wouldn’t have hesitated in killing him, but it had to be more than that. I started asking around.”

“Where?”

“In the different districts.” She answered as if it was the natural thing to do.

“You’re vegan.” McGee responded, surprised.

“I am still a werewolf and I have three older brothers. Trust me, I can take care of myself.” She growled. Her eyes changed color and her face distorted and morphed into her true form.

“Impressive.” McGee nodded his head. “What did you find?” He looked over at Gibbs. The dragon stood by the window. His shoulders were tensed and although it looked like he wasn’t listening, McGee knew he heard every word.

“At first what I found didn’t make any sense, I mean, I couldn’t even believe it was possible. But then I got confirmation of the same fact again and again and I knew I couldn’t ignore it any more. So, I went and I hacked into several computers and got the information myself.”

“Wait, back up. You hacked in? Where and for what information?” McGee asked and Gibbs moved closer.

Bishop gulped. “Okay, let me start at the beginning.” She took out a folded paper from her jeans pocket and placed it on McGee’s table. With her hands, she flattened it out. “I still couldn’t understand how it was possible for someone to get into the secured cells and kill someone there. I know the cameras stopped working, but that didn’t mean that any unknown creature would’ve been able to waltz into the secured cells. It had to be an inside job. And I know you know it is one. I mean, there’s just no way you wouldn’t have thought that. But I also knew that you would look at any visitors Merkel might have had before his death, but then I took it one step further to bring it one step closer.”

“You’re not making sense, Bishop.” McGee could hear Gibbs growling. He didn’t need or want the dragon to go over the edge in this office.

“I know, I know. Just bear with me.”

“Okay, but make it quick.”

“Okay, I can do that.” She took a deep breath. “So, what I did do is I took the names on his visitor list and I asked one question.” She looked at the two males. When they didn’t respond, she continued. “I wanted to know if any of the visitors had contact with anyone working at or for the Council.”

McGee stood up straighter and Gibbs moved closer. “What did you find?”

Bishop pointed to a name on the paper. “Patrick Doyle.”

“With who?” Gibbs asked the question.

“He’s married to a niece of councilor Shepard.”

“What!” McGee shouted. He saw Gibbs move and something told him to get in between Bishop and the dragon. He found himself face to face with a very angry dragon. “Let her finish, Gibbs.” He knew Gibbs and Shepard rarely got along, but Gibbs had known her for years. She had been a very good friend before he met Shannon. The fact that they still haven’t found those responsible for killing her made Gibbs grumpier. He stood where he was. “Go on, Bishop.” He could hear her breathing hitched as she tried to get herself under control. She smelt of fear, but also of determination. “Go on, tell us what you found.”

“Patrick Doyle married councilor Shepard’s niece, five years ago. “He’s a Coiled serpent and comes from an old family. They are well established in the serpent community. But, he and Merkel had been friends for a very long time. They’d been arrested together a few times, but with the money on Doyle’s side, he never got prosecuted.” Bishop looked McGee. “I found evidence of numerous emails and text messages between Doyle and Shepard. The emails increased significantly after Merkel’s detention. Since Merkel’s death, there’d been nothing more.”

“Shepard was found dead two days later on my front porch. Time of death was estimated as within hours of Merkel and Sacks.” Gibbs sounded detached. “Where did you find the email messages?”

Bishop sighed. “I hacked into Doyle’s secured server and found the emails there. He thought he’d deleted them, but it’s not really deleted if you know where to look. I then traced the email back to a supposedly unused email address for Shepard. Except that it’s been in use for quite some time.”

“Since when?” Gibbs squared his shoulders.

“Well, in the nineties, it was used once or twice, but then in 2006 it was used extensively, before it sort of went dormant, except maybe for one or two emails a year, but then it started being used regularly again from earlier this year.”

McGee looked at Gibbs. “And we didn’t find it, because I didn’t think of looking for a link between Merkel and Shepard.” He bowed his head. “I dropped the ball, Gibbs. I’m sorry.”

Gibbs shook his head. “Now is not the time for self-blame. “What else?” He faced Bishop.

“I also found a link between Ron Sacks and Doyle.”

McGee groaned. This was worse than what he’d expected.

“They gambled together and neither one was very good at winning. Except once again, Doyle had more pull and his debt got written off, while Sacks wasn’t as lucky.”

Gibbs stared out in front of him. “And Shepard used Doyle to get rid of Merkel. And it was Sacks duty to distract Bishop so that Doyle could gut the Troll.” His shoulders slumped. He had no idea why Jenny would want Merkel dead, and it seemed like Jenny had something to do with wanting his mate dead as well. “You did good, Bishop.” He ran his hand across his face. “You said you had something, McGee?”

It was McGee’s turn to cringe. “I found a link between Shepard and DiNozzo.” McGee looked on as the blood drained from Gibbs’ face. “Boss?” He reached out to touch his Alpha’s shoulder. He yanked his arm back as Gibbs snarled at him. “Easy.” He stood his ground.

Gibbs closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose. The dragon inside of him wanted to ripple to the surface and destroy everything around him. His head snapped around as the office door opened up. His eyes glowed red but dimmed as he saw who it was. “Tobias.”

“You all right?” He posed the question to Gibbs but his eyes lingered on McGee.

“Yes.” Gibbs moved away from the Kitsune and the werewolf. He took his spot up next to the window again. “What did you find, McGee.” He could feel Tobias’ eyes on his back. He knew Tobias felt the rage he had in him for that mere second and since it was clear that McGee and Tobias were in a pre-bond he knew his second in command would be more protective towards McGee.

“I went through her phone records and there was one number that she called on a regular basis. I had to obtain a warrant for the information to be released. The warrant came back and the number is registered to a luxury spa. But, then the name of the spa caught my eye. It’s called _Umano_. Italian for human. Not only is DiNozzo Italian, but I went through the list of all the businesses he owns that’s a front for his illicit businesses and that is one of them. I did a search and the business is registered in his name.”

“It doesn’t mean she knew it was one of DiNozzo’s businesses, McGee.” Gibbs didn’t turn away from the window.

“Correct, but I know for a fact that Shepard treated all of the females about a year ago to a spa day and she took them to the spa she always went to. I’ve checked her financials. She went to a spa in Alexandria twice a month. The women couldn’t stop talking about the place and how everyone knew Shepard by name and how the personnel doted on her while they were there.” McGee closed his eyes. “Councilor Shepard worked with DiNozzo.” He didn’t want to see the anguish and rage he knew would be on Gibbs’ face when the Alpha realized the betrayal.

Gibbs slammed his hands against the frames, and as the wood splintered he changed form and took to the sky. He could hear Tobias calling out to him, but he didn’t turn back. He had to get away.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Dragon Pride Estates: Following night**

Tobias circled the sky. He used the rising air currents around him to glide smoothly through the air. He kept an eye on the ground at the pride lands that stretched out beneath him. The land had been the dragons’ since the start of time. It was kept under the name of the king, but was used by all dragons. In modern days not so extensively as years before, but there were still clans who lived here full time.

With his keen eyesight Tobias spotted Gibbs on the far side of his personal estate and he glided in that direction. He didn’t find it strange to find Gibbs there. He landed with a thud and changed back into his human form. He remained where he landed, giving Gibbs some privacy. He knew his Alpha better than anyone else. Gibbs would talk to him when he was ready. For a long time, the silence stretched out between them and then Gibbs spoke up. His head was bowed.

“She was the first one who got hold of me when I went after those who killed my girls. She found me in a forest somewhere in Europe. She found me and didn’t say a word. She just sat down and waited. She waited until I finally cracked and then she held me against her chest and let me cry. Not once did she tell me to stop, or that it wouldn’t help, or that things would get better. She just held me and let me get rid of all those emotions that were inside of me that threatened to overpower me. I had no idea on how long I cried, but she stayed with me, not even moving an inch. And when I was finally empty with no tears left, she held my face in her hands. She’d looked at me and then stated with so much power inside of her that I couldn’t help but to believe her. She told me I would find the ones responsible and that I would make them pay. But, all the time she worked with DiNozzo. She _knew_ he was the one who had my mate and my child killed. Was she the one to tell them where Shannon and Kelly would be? Did she held me to her chest afterwards while she patted herself on the back on a ‘job well done’, and for what? For fucking what!” Gibbs shook his head, his shoulders sagged. “I believed her.” He looked to the sky. “I BELIEVED HER AND SHE BETRAYED ME!” He screamed as his knees buckled and he landed hard. He slammed his fists on the ground, leaving indents in the soil.

Tobias turned as two betas landed at his back. He shook his head, making sure they knew to stay back. Their presence didn’t surprise him. There were always sentries on duty and Gibbs’ fury would’ve been heard by all of them. He looked back to where his best friend still knelt on the ground. No words would make Shepard’s betrayal disappear or heal the wounds his best friend suffered from as a result of that betrayal. Tobias did the only thing he could think of. “We found DiNozzo.” He used Gibbs’ anger to get the Alpha to focus on finding his mate. It was cruel and most likely uncalled for, but it was better than seeing Gibbs crumble to pieces until nothing remained.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**DiNozzo Holdings**

The door gave way under Gibbs’ strength as he flung it open and strode through to the inner office. Tobias was on his right and Mike on his left. Another six dragons took their positions behind him. He gave no regard to any other human or creature present in what looked to be the boardroom, but only had eyes for the man that sat at the head of the table.

“You are not welcome here,” DiNozzo sneered as he rose to his feet.

“And I don’t give a flying fuck.” Gibbs took two large steps and ended right next to the man. He grabbed him by the arm and pushed him into the wall. When DiNozzo started to struggle, Gibbs slammed his head against the wall. He could smell the blood, but didn’t care. People and creatures alike protested behind him, but he didn’t respond. His own pride stood silently and watched on. They would not interfere, even if he killed the man. But, he would not. Not yet, in any case.

“You’re a fucking monster!” DiNozzo screamed, spit flew from his mouth and he tried to move away.

“I know, but what are you then?” Gibbs slammed him against the wall for a second time before he took out the cuffs he had and cuffed him tight. “You are under arrest for murder and crimes committed against the supernatural. Especially, for the murder of my second mate and my child. You are also under arrest for the abduction of _my_ first mate. For that alone, you’ve forfeited your life and I can’t wait to see you take your last breath. And it will be me who would make sure it is indeed the last breath you will take.”

DiNozzo turned his head. “You will not kill me. You have no right to kill me. I am human, you are a fucking creature. You should crawl before me.”

Gibbs smirked. “You should go and read the different treaties signed over the years. No human is superior to any other creature. And by right, you should kneel before me as I am the Alpha dragon. In human terms – I am king.”

“Not for long you’re not.” It was DiNozzo’s turn to smirk.

Gibbs cocked his head. “Threatening me, are you? That’s another charge to the list.” He grabbed DiNozzo’s arm and pulled him away from the wall. Without letting go he marched the pudgy man out the room. He wanted to get him at Council House as soon as possible. He wanted the slimy man away from prying eyes so that he could take him apart bit by bit.

“Alpha.”

A voice sounded to the side and Gibbs turned his head. He could feel the blood drain from his face as he recognized what the beta dragon held in his hands. It was Tony’s shirt. Olive colored, it brought the green out in his eyes. Gibbs had personally picked out the shirt for Tony after that first night at Dragon House and they all realized that Tony only had the clothes on his back. He never gave a shit about the latest fashion or dressed in expensive clothes, but something inside of him screamed to make sure that Tony always dressed smartly. And now the shirt was stained with red. Blood. Tony’s blood. Gibbs roared and grabbed DiNozzo by the arms. The dragon in him burst out and the world faded away as he tasted blood on his tongue.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Witches District**

Tony slowly returned to consciousness with a gasp. He jolted against his restraints and he groaned out in pain as his whole body throbbed. Tony tried to look around, but he had blurred vision and from what he could make out looked it unfamiliar. Tony tried to move, but the magical bonds held him tight. When he rolled his wrists, he could feel the invisible bonds pulse around them. His shoulders throbbed from being extended for such a long time. Tony swallowed and tasted his own blood in the back of his throat.

He tried to understand why he was still alive. He’d thought that this time was it. That his _father_ was finally going to kill him. That there’d be no next breath for him, and yet, here he was, still breathing, although by the wheezing sound that emanated from his chest he didn’t think it would be for too much longer.

Cold air brushed over his body and he shivered hard. It made him groan out in pain, but it also made him aware that he was naked. He dimly remembered being naked earlier, but for one or the other reason it didn’t matter as much as it did now.

Another wave of pain crashed into him and he closed his eyes. He must’ve lost consciousness because as he came to, he frowned. “Ziva?” She stood across from him, Elven blade in hand with a scowl on her face.

“Finally.” She sneered but remained where she was.

Something clicked in his mind. “You didn’t come to rescue me.”

Ziva’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Guess again.”

Tony ignored her statement in the same way he ignored the excruciating pain that pulsed through his body. He concentrated on his words. “Is this about Europe?” He really didn’t think she was that angry with him. Not to be in the same boat with his father. He frowned. “How do you know DiNozzo?”

“We’ve known one another for some time.”

“He fucked you.”

Ziva rolled her eyes. “No, purely business.”

“What did he pay you?”

“Pay me?” She shrugged. “Nothing. It was all my pleasure.”

Tony frowned. “Do you hate me so much?” He swallowed hard.

“You don’t even know half of it.” Ziva finally stepped closer. She tapped the blade against her thigh.

“Enlighten me.”

She cocked her head and burst out laughing. “Are you seriously playing for time?” She shook her head. “Poor Tony. No one is going to save you. You can stop stalling for time. It’s just you and me and all the time I need to finally get my revenge.”

“Fuck, Ziva. You spent one night in an Italian police station. Get over it.”

Ziva screamed. “No! You don’t even fucking know!”

“Know what, Ziva? What the fuck is this about!” He strained against the invisible bindings that held him captured.

The distance between them shrunk to nothing as she stepped up and stood before him. “We are twins.”

Tony frowned and shook his head. He even managed to snicker. Her words made no sense. “No, we’re not. You’re an elf, I’m human. You’re older than me.”

Ziva laughed, but it sounded hollow. “You are so fucking clueless. Each and every time when you are born, you forget more.” She bowed her head, her breathing sounded harsh.

“I don’t follow. You’re not making sense, Ziva.” He struggled again.

She lifted her head, and without blinking, she stabbed him with the Elven blade. It penetrated him just beneath his heart. She looked on as he screamed. She felt nothing but hate towards him. She twisted the blade and smiled at his anguish. Ziva let go of the blade and stepped back. She looked on as he continued to scream. All of her previous thoughts of torturing forgotten. She only wanted him dead.

The fire spread from within. It consumed every single molecule within his body. It felt like his blood boiled in his veins, but nothing else happened. He stayed alive and Tony continued to scream. It was as if the blade would not let him die. He prayed for the power to escape his magical bindings just to rip the blade free and then to hopefully die. His voice gave way and he slumped downwards as far as the invisible bindings would let him. His eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious.

Ziva left.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Dragon House**

“Are you all right?” Abby asked cautiously as she stepped into the room where Gibbs stood in the middle of the floor staring at nothing.

“I never got to hold him.” Gibbs didn’t turn around.

“Are you then giving up on finding him, Gibbs?” Abby crossed her hands across her chest. “Like…” She stopped talking.

“Like what, Abby?” This time Gibbs turned around. His eyes were bloodshot, his shoulders tensed.

She shook her head and bit down on her bottom lip.

“Spit it out, Abigail. What did you want to say?” Gibbs walked towards her. His eyes shimmered red, his fists balled at his sides.

“You’re scaring me.” She took a step back.

“You should be scared, Abby. I am a monster.”

Abby shook her head again. “No.”

Gibbs snorted. “Don’t try to deny it, Abby. You know it, I know it. The whole fucking world knows it.” He threw his hands up in the air. “Get it off your chest. Whatever you wanted to say. Just say it!”

“How can you think Ducky betrayed us? He would never do something like that. Never!” Her small fists hit him hard in the chest.

Gibbs doesn’t stop her from hitting him. He looked at her and saw the anguish in her eyes. He didn’t want to believe it either, but all the evidence pointed to that. He didn’t answer either, just continued staring at her. A hard slap to his cheeks made him roar. He grabbed her by the arms and lifted her from her feet. “Because all the fucking evidence pointed to it. He was the one who saw Tony last and when Tony disappeared, he did as well. And if he was on our side when they took Tony he would’ve fought. He would’ve died in that room to save my mate. He did not!” It was the smell of her blood that brought him back to the present. Gibbs let go of her arms and stepped back. “Get out.” He turned away from her and ignored her sobs as he stared at the floor again.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

“We might have found a connection between Tony and the dark elves.” Tobias ignored the haunted look on Gibbs’ face as he took his seat across from his friend. They’d been looking for one since they first spotted the dark elves at Tony’s home.

“What?”

“This.” Tobias passed him three sheets of paper. They were high gloss quality photos. All three photos depicted DiNozzo with a younger female. By her exotic looks she was clearly an elf. “Who is she?”

Tobias cocked his head. “Are you seriously telling me you don’t know who that is?” He pointed at the photos.

“No. Get to the point or get out.” Gibbs stood up and paced the room.

“You really are a fucking bastard.” Tobias remained seated. “Luckily for you, I don’t have time for your temper tantrums or the fact that you’re feeling sorry for yourself. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, listen to what I have to say and maybe get your head out of your ass.” He got up and walked to where Gibbs stood frozen. “I will not be chased away by your foul mood. I don’t care what you do. Yes, you shouldn’t have eaten DiNozzo, it’s been eons since you last ate human meat, but it’s done and nothing you or anyone else can do about it now. And we both know, he deserved it.” Tobias pointed to the female in the photos again. “It’s time to focus that rage you have inside of you on her. Her name is Ziva and it’s rumored that she is the heir to the dark Elven realm. And the only reason why I say _rumored_ , is because you know how those dark elves work. They will never give a straight answer, never mind what the question might be.”

Gibbs gave more attention to the photo. “The dark elves have been without a true leader for many years. But let’s say it’s true and that she is the heir, why would a creature like herself be seen with someone like DiNozzo?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out. McGee went through all of the security footage at DiNozzo Holdings. They had a number of meetings. The first, just before they tried to take Tony from his home.”

Gibbs cocked his head. “She knew where Tony was.” He looked at the photos again. “We need to find the connection between her and Tony.”

“We also need to find the connection between Tony and DiNozzo.”

Gibbs nodded. “That would make sense. Tony is the common denominator between the two of them.” He turned away. “Find out everything you can about Tony.”

“McGee is already on it.” Tobias sighed. “He’s also searching for a possible location where Ziva might be.”

“You think she’s got him?” Gibbs balled his fists.

“I do.”

“Find her.”

Tobias nodded and left without another word.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Witches District**

She paced the room and for once she looked insecure. Ziva squared her shoulders. She would not give it up. Not when she was so close, and definitely not to _him_. She huffed and crossed her arms across her chest. “You should’ve died.” She shook her head. “Instead, you’re still alive. No wonder your _father_ hated you so much. You really don’t want to die, or stay dead.”

She hated him with everything inside of her. If it wasn’t for him… Ziva took a deep breath. _She_ was the one who overcame each and every obstacle thrown in front of her. Elves never distinguished between gender, but for one or other reason, dark elves believed that men should reign the world and not women. It had made her rise to the top so much harder. It didn’t matter that she bore the mark to indicate that she was the true heir to the dark throne. They were all aware of the prophecy and what it meant. But, it seemed the universe had a cruel sense of humor as the two of them were born as twins so many years ago, but he died and then got reborn again and again and fucking again. The seers, the prophets and the mages all believed that it was a sign. A sign that they could not interfere with the prophecy until it finally played out. It was clear to her that he needed to stop being born and die. Then she would be crowned as the ruler, but until that happened _he_ would be considered as the true ruler. She would not allow it. She had managed to keep his identity secret, not even those loyal to her knew who he really was. If it became known to any of the prophets or Elven seers that Tony was alive, they would do everything in their power to rescue him and they would kill her. She balled her fists and screamed. She continued to scream until her voice gave way and she sank to her knees. And then she laughed.

It had taken her years to find out how to kill a prophecy and even longer than that to get everything in place. From the first time she was told of the prophecy and was old enough to do something about it, she made sure to be a shadow in each of his lives and all the time she gathered more information. He might only be twenty-nine, but if he lived, he would’ve been as old as she was. They were born the first time over three hundred years ago. She had lived, he had died. Not even two years old. But in that two years he had proven to be something else. Something so special that every seer, prophet and mage stood up straight and took notice. It was all that she heard about as she grew older. As she matured, he got born into different situations. Sometimes he was a rich merchant’s son. Other times he was a slave child, but he never lived. Until now.

Ziva had taken her time. She never hurried and always made sure that the next step she took was the correct one. And now she had the final ingredient to his demise. This time it would be permanent. He would not be reborn again. The other two elements that she needed were already in play. A first-class mage and a dragon. They were on their way and it would all be over soon. She got to her feet and walked over to where her _twin_ still hung between the invisible shackles that held him captive. She reached for the knife and withdrew it from his body. The blade had turned into a deep ruby red. It had absorbed his blood. Maybe not everything was ruined. This blade filled with his blood, and that could kill a dragon. It was exactly what she needed. Without looking at Tony she moved out of the room. It was time for the next part of her plan. It was time to taunt and kill a dragon. She smiled. It was going to be fun.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Dragon House**

McGee sat silently behind his laptop. He looked up as the door to the office opened and smiled softly. “You got my message.”

“Yes.” Tobias placed the cup of coffee next to McGee’s hand and pressed his lips against McGee’s. “Gibbs is on his way.”

McGee nodded. “I’ve called Jimmy and Abby as well.”

“The Oracle is here?”

McGee nodded again. “Yes, he decided to stay here at Dragon House until we found Tony.”

“Can’t see the council being happy with that.” He knew they were still grumbling over the fact that they were dismissed by Jimmy and Gibbs.

McGee grinned. “I’ve never said it before, but Jimmy’s got balls! With the council dismantled one would think that the councilors would be a bit subtler in their dealings, but it seemed like they’d decided that since Jimmy is still fairly young, they can browbeat him into things, or just ignore what he said and continue to do what they want to. But, Jimmy is really having none of it. He’s doing a great job.”

“You’re really proud of him.”

McGee frowned. “Aren’t you?”

“I am.” Tobias smiled. “I can still recall when he first came to the Estate with Ducky. I thought either Ducky or Gibbs would have him for breakfast, but he made it.”

McGee wanted to answer, but the door opened again and Gibbs stormed in. The scowl on his face still there for everyone to see.

“What do you have, McGee?”

McGee wanted to say that he was waiting for Jimmy and Abby, but he saw Tobias’ shake of the head. It was better that he started. “The dark elves have several quarters in the witches’ district as they were shunned from the Elven district ages ago. It took some digging, but I’ve identified two buildings where Tony might be kept.” McGee turned his laptop and showed the dragons a map of the district.

“Both structures are deep within the district itself, security measures on them are to the extreme, but since dragons can go almost anywhere, those measures should not be a problem.” McGee tapped the keyboard and an image of a building came up. “This is the first building. It’s registered to Eli David.”

“The leader of the Israeli Council.” Tobias remarked as he looked at Gibbs. He knew Eli and Gibbs had never seen eye to eye.

“Indeed. It’s also supposed to be empty, but I’ve compared several infrared satellite images from the past months and it looks to be occupied. More so since Tony’s abduction.”

“The second building?”

McGee cocked his head. “You don’t think it’s this building?”

Gibbs shook his head. “No. Show me the second building.”

McGee nodded. “The second building is smaller in scale, but that’s more of an illusion as there are at least four underground levels. I can’t seem to find out who the building belongs to as the company in whose name its registered is a shell corporation. It’s supposed to be some kind of corporate offices, but nothing corporate goes on there, unless you count the number of illegal arms brought in over the last couple of months.” He showed them satellite images of males carrying in large crates. There’s one photo of a crate that fell, the high-end weaponry splayed out on the ground.

“I have no intel on what’s going on in the underground levels.” McGee brought up another image.

“Ziva has been picked up at this premises on satellite just after she and DiNozzo met for the first time, but not since then.” McGee looked at Gibbs. “There are several images of her at the first building.”

Gibbs nodded. “Approximately how many elves in each building?”

“If I had to guess, then I would say, between thirty and fifty in the first. The second, excluding the underground levels, around twenty.”

“We’ll raid the second building. Get everything in order, Tobias and let the Elven council know about the raid when we’re on the premises. Not before.”

“You sure that’s the building?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” Tobias pushed for an answer.

“My gut. I’ve also gathered my own intel on Ziva. It’s very limited, but she’s arrogant, thinks that she’s unstoppable and likes to flaunt her status. But, she’s also cunning. She likes playing games and one of those games is to make us believe that she’s got Tony in a building where there are more security, while keeping him at the second location.”

“What about the weapons?”

Gibbs smiled. “She’d increased her fire power, as she believes she can take us down with brute force. The security measures on the outside of the building might be impressive, but inside? Except for her own power, I don’t believe we’ll find any signs of any magic, wards or anything else. That’s her domain and she’ll keep it free of any other power.”

“It is said that she is the daughter of Eli.”

Gibbs nodded. “I’ve learned that as well. However, from what I understood is that Eli never confirmed it, but he loves playing political games. For him, it would be suicide if my mate is found in his building. He would rather see Ziva hang herself, then be dragged into this kind of mess.”

“Okay.” Tobias sighed. “We’ve got another eight hours to sunset. We’ll be ready to go in then.”

“Yes.” Gibbs turned and walked towards the door. He stopped as he reached it. “Tobias.” He didn’t turn around.

“Yes?”

“Ziva is mine.”

“Understood, Alpha.”

Gibbs nodded and then exited the room.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**Witches District**

“It’s a trap.” Gibbs growled as they stepped into the structure. He’d underestimated her. He’d thought that she wouldn’t rely on other forms of magic, but it seemed like she did. He couldn’t help but to wonder what other surprises she had in store for them. He’d felt the different wards go up around them. He knew most of them wouldn’t hurt him, but not all of the agents were dragons. He looked at Tobias next to him. “Get McGee out.”

“No,” McGee spoke up. “I can take care of myself. I’ve had your back for twelve years, Gibbs.”

“This is different.”

“I agree, but you keep forgetting, I might not be a dragon, but I’m different as well.” McGee smiled and changed into his true form. Without waiting for the two dragons he moved forward. The first ward he breached snapped like lighting, but it didn’t hurt him.

“He’s going to keep you on your toes,” Gibbs remarked. Without wasting any more time, he stepped through the ward himself.

Tobias rolled his eyes but followed on Gibbs’ heels. The moment he stepped through the ward, a group of dark elves appeared and rushed them. It was time to fight.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Gibbs wiped the blood from his eyebrow and took care of the next elf that tried to stop him. The sword in his hand gleamed with blood. He loved to fight with a sword. Firearms were more aggressive, and used in scenarios where humans might be, but in a fight with a supernatural creature, and where the space was too small to shift, he used a sword. He wiped the blood from the blade and stepped over the fallen body. He could hear Tobias and the rest of the rescue party fighting behind him, but he didn’t go back. He had to find Tony. Gibbs turned a corner and the elf he was looking for, stood right in front of him.

“You’ve got my mate.” He gripped the hilt of his sword tighter.

She sneered at him. “You’re too late.”

Gibbs shook his head. “No. He’s still alive.” He closed the distance between them.

“Not for long.” She didn’t hesitate but leaped almost straight up in the air and as she descended a long fiery blade appeared in her hand. She held it with both hands and thrust it downwards. Gibbs used his strength and bodily shoved her away from him. She landed with a thud on the floor. Before he could close the distance between them, she was back on her feet and stormed him again.

Blades clashed, sparks flew as they moved down the corridor. She thrust her sword again, and Gibbs brought his blade down and blocked her attack. He raised his hand and brought his own sword down with a cutting move. She raised her blade above her head and kicked out at the same time. It made him stumble backwards two paces, but he didn’t lose the grip on the sword. He swung low and with a cry, she jumped high, tightened her body and did a somersault over his body to land at his back.

She grinned. “Do I need to slow down for you, dragon? Are you getting tired?” She laughed. “Your time is running out to find him alive. Let this end now. Run into my blade, die and let him die.” She pushed forward.

Gibbs frowned. Her words didn’t make sense. Tony might be his mate, but they’ve yet to bond. If he died, Tony would not die and vice versa. “What does that mean?” He growled and swung his blade up high. She moved fast, but the blade still struck her shoulder. She didn’t even flinch.

Her cocky grin appeared on her face again. “Never been told the whole prophecy?” She laughed again, shook her head and tried to stab him again. She wasn’t even out of breath.

“Don’t play games with me!” Gibbs roared in anger.

She rolled her eyes at him, as she blocked his next attack and moved out of the way. “What? Don’t you see the fun of it? Teasing your prey, luring them towards you with false words and actions. Making them trust you, until you take their heart in your hand and they then realize they were never in charge. The last shocking expression on their faces, before you squeeze their heart and they finally die. Perfection. Pure and simple.”

He knew she was taunting him, but just the way she spoke about the prophecy made him realize that she knew more. More than what he did. He’d questioned, even interrogated Palmer for hours on the prophecy, but the mage only knew so much, and that wasn’t enough. Ducky had the skill that meant he could never intimidate him, and threats never worked. But, she knew something he didn’t and he _had_ to know. “Tell me! Tell me and I will make sure your death comes swiftly.”

“I will tell you. Not for my death to come quicker, but for yours.” She moved with lighting speed. Her blade stopped mere inches from his neck. “Your mate was doomed from birth. To be born and to die again and again until the universe found it fit to spit him out one final time. This lifetime he was known as Anthony DiNozzo Junior.”

She laughed at Gibbs’ shocked face. “What you didn’t know?” She shook her head. “The DiNozzo that you’ve been hunting for so long; the one monster, yet human that killed your second mate and child, was your precious mate’s father. He never wanted Tony. Tried to have him kidnapped when he was only a few days old, but it didn’t work. From there on he tried to kill Tony physically and emotionally. But he didn’t realize the odds were stacked against him. And then Tony disappeared. He was only twelve. DiNozzo was of the opinion that he’d crawled into a hole and died.” They continued to fight, and she continued with her story. “Then in 2006 he found out that Tony was still alive. He was livid.” She laughed again.

“This is bullshit, how do you know this? You had no contact with DiNozzo before.” Gibbs gripped the sword with both hands and swiped across her body. She ducked and rolled away from underneath the attack.

She jumped to her feet in one fluid motion. “Because every time _he_ gets born I feel it. Just like I feel him die, the only difference is that when he is born, I want to die, when he dies, I want to throw wild parties.” She shook her head. “But that’s not what this story is about.” She launched her own attack. Sparks flew from both swords again as they moved down the corridor. “When DiNozzo found out, he went for the big guns. He told his Nāgini to take care of the problem. She tortured him, played with him for days.” She laughed when Gibbs stumbled at her words. “You heard right, his Nāgini. Now you’re asking yourself just how many Nāginis are there?” She grinned. “Only one.”

“Jenny.” Gibbs breath hitched at the thought. Too late, he saw the blade bearing down. He tried to bring up his fighting arm, to block the attack, but it was too late. He looked up and Ziva grinned as the blade in her hand thrust into flesh.

Gibbs screamed.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Tony gasped for air. His lungs burned, and he coughed. He placed his hand on his side and held on as the coughs continued to rip through his frame. He could feel the blood dripping from the wound and warming his palm as he curled into himself. Darkness surrounded him only to realize that he had his eyes closed. They snapped open. He was still in the same room as before, but with one difference. No magic bounds kept him captive. Tony shivered as the coldness of the floor seeped into his bones. He could hear what sounded like fighting in the corridor just beyond the door. He frowned. He wasn’t sure, but it sounded like they were fighting with swords. Tony frowned. “Have they not heard of guns? You pull the trigger and the problem goes away.” He tried to stand, but his legs refused to work together with the rest of his body, and he remained in a heap on the floor.

An earth-shattering scream made him flinch. Something in the sound made him want to scream as well. Tony managed to get to his feet. The world around him continued to spin and he stumbled across the floor but made it to the door. Everything stayed out of focus and he blinked again before the picture became clear.

A woman, no, Ziva, stood with her hands raised above her head. She had an elven sword in her hand. The blade burned red and Tony knew. It was the blade she’d stabbed him with earlier. He looked down and saw Gibbs on the floor. He was wriggling with pain. Pain that _his_ blood was causing. She was going for the death blow. Tony didn’t know where he got the strength from, but he launched himself forward and barreled towards her. He screamed in pain and anger and looked on as she lowered the blade. He leaped as she brought the blade down. He had no idea if he would be in time, but he couldn’t let the dragon die.

He caught her midriff and they skidded to the side. The sword tumbled out of her hands and landed on the floor as they crashed into the wall. Tony got to his feet first. She wasn’t hurt, more stunned as she didn’t think anyone would attack her. He, on the other hand, was still injured. But, Tony couldn’t let that slow him down. He knew he had to reach the sword first. If he didn’t, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill them both.

He scrambled over to the sword, but he was too slow and Ziva tackled him from behind. She was strong and lifted him up from the floor and like a rag doll he got tossed to the side. She didn’t even look back as she moved to take up the fallen blade. She didn’t see Tony crush head first into the wall. His head collided with a solid thud and he went limp.

Ziva grabbed the blade and turned around, ready to attack. She smirked as she took in the sight behind her. The mighty dragon was trying to get to his feet, but he was struggling, and she turned her attention to Tony. She thought he’d died, she was wrong. He’d thought he could take her down. He was wrong. No one can take her down. She’d won. She was going to kill him. Take his life for the last time and then she’d kill the dragon. The prophecy would be hers and hers alone.

She tightened the grip on the handle and swaggered over to where he lay. He looked dead, but she wasn’t going to take a chance. Not again. She stood over him and lifted the sword high. As she brought it down, she screamed. She let go of all the rage she felt within her. The sword slipped into flesh, but at the same time she got shoved to the side. She turned back and screamed. The sword wasn’t imbedded into Tony. Instead, it protruded from the old mage – Ducky. Blood stained his white robes, but he looked regal even as the life light dimmed in his eyes. She didn’t have any more time to ponder on what happened as something ice cold made her gasp for air. She looked down towards her abdomen. The light green blouse she had on blossomed into red. Ziva frowned. The sword that protruded from her stomach didn’t make sense. She touched the steel and found it warm with her blood. Her eyes drifted up and she stared right into the eyes of a raging dragon. Gibbs still held his human form, but his eyes burned with fire and she could see his dragon lingering beneath the surface. She tried to smile, but blood coated her teeth and lips. She swallowed and tasted the copper as it slid down her throat.

“You will rot in the deepest caverns of hell for all eternity.”

Ziva gasped. Her eyes closed, and she slumped sideways. She was dead even before her head landed on the floor.

“Tony!” Gibbs scrambled to his mate’s side, his own wound throbbed, but he couldn’t be bothered. He didn’t hesitate next to Ducky. The lifeless eyes that looked skywards told him his friend was beyond saving. Ducky had died saving his mate. Gibbs picked Tony up in his arms. His mate gasped for air and then slowly opened his eyes.

Gibbs looked on as Tony frowned. His mate looked confused. “Tony?”

Tony made eye contact and then smiled. He swallowed hard. “You’re a very intimidating, but still as handsome as hell, dragon. The black scales look good on you.” Tony smiled weakly again and then closed his eyes.

“Tony!” Gibbs’ hand trembled as he reached to check for a pulse. He found one, it was fluttering, but it was there. He cradled Tony to his chest and started running. He had to get his mate to a hospital. Tony’s words didn’t register with him immediately. Only much later did he realize that Tony was able to see his true form. Only then, did he smile.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**3 Weeks later: Oracle’s chambers**

Jimmy held the long scroll of paper against his chest as he leaned against the wall at his back. He couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down his cheeks. After Ducky died, Gibbs had told them that Ducky was the one who saved himself and Tony. It seemed that Ducky had redeemed himself in Gibbs’ eyes, but he had needed more. Except, that he didn’t want to go and look for answers. He was still too wrung out about Ducky’s betrayal and then coming to grips that Ducky didn’t betray them. It was as if nothing made sense. It was Abby, who told him to get his head out of his ass and do what he needed to do. And he finally scraped the courage together and entered Ducky’s inner sanctum.

It was easy to spot the scroll with his name on it. Not only was it his name, but it was addressed to Oracle Palmer. Jimmy had no idea how long he stared at it before he finally picked it up and broke the wax seal. The paper used brought a smile to his face, but it was the familiar handwriting on the inside that had him tear up for the first time. He could smell the ink on the paper and knew without a doubt that Ducky had used a quill and ink to write him this letter.

_Oracle Palmer,_

_Never in my life, have I thought that I would call you by the highest honor possible in our order – Oracle. Not that you are unworthy of the title, but more of the fact that I never thought I would be alive to see the day when you are ordained as Oracle. It also comes with enormous responsibilities, but I am certain that you will be up to the task._

_If you were wondering if I was at the ceremony, then the answer is yes. I was there. I would not have missed it for the world. Even when it meant that I was risking my own life. I knew the last time you and I spoke, words were said, and meanings were attached to them which I can tell you were incorrect. Yes, you are no longer worthy of the title as my apprentice, but not because of anything you might have done wrong. Instead, it is because of what you have done right._

_You have outgrown the title of Apprentice for many a year, but forgive an old man for wanting to keep you close, instead of letting you spread your wings. When you were first brought to me to be tested as a possible apprentice, I knew that you were destined for great things. As a young boy and later on a teenager, you were timid and shy, except when it came to things of importance. You have always been loyal to those around you and from the early days it was clear that you would do everything in your power to protect those close to you. I knew that you would become a man and a mage to be proud of and you have not disappointed me. Well done, Mage Palmer._

Jimmy closed his eyes. He had made Ducky proud. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. It was time to read the rest.

_I know you have many questions and it is understandable. Now, that the prophecy was revealed in totality, I can tell you what I know. And I do hope that in the end you will understand my actions and that you will be able to forgive me for what I have done. For what I had to do._

_There were many pieces of the prophecy floating around which were speculated on, but the whole prophecy per se, was only available to a few selected Mages. Including the Oracle. The prophecy was revealed to me just as I was appointed as a first-grade mage. I was told at that time that I needed to know it all for the future. At that stage it did not make sense, but years later when you became my apprentice everything fell into place._

_But, let me stop with my musings and get to the point…_

_The Universe was created in light and darkness, two sides of a whole. The one cannot be without the other. Yet, a balance should be maintained at all times. Should the darkness prevail, the light would cease to exist and the balance will be destroyed. Reflections should be cast on all actions. Those that are good and those that are evil. It cannot be ignored. As an old era eases into the next, the one to restore the balance will be finally brought into the light and it will be on his shoulders to do what is necessary to restore what was askew._

Jimmy frowned at the wording. “That’s it?” He read the paragraph again. He had expected more. Not just a single paragraph. He returned his attention back to the letter. Maybe there was more.

_If you are looking for more, I am sorry to disappoint you. That is what the prophecy foretold. But, as I have instructed you before, one should never just look for what can be seen on the surface. There is more hidden beneath the simple words. And it is in that hidden meaning that you will find more._

Jimmy stopped reading the letter and returned to the paragraph for a third time. He took out a piece of paper from his pocket and a snub-nosed pencil. He started to decipher the words. The first sentence was easy. It spoke about light and darkness. Two things. Twins. Tony and Ziva. He shook his head. It was still hard to believe that they were actually twins, although not quite. It made his head hurt if he thought too long about it, so he kept it simple and left it at them being twins. Tony was the light and Ziva the darkness. That was easy to interpret. It was easy to see that if Ziva killed Tony that the balance would be destroyed, especially now that they knew what Tony was. Jimmy sighed. He had to concentrate on deciphering the prophecy. He knew, strictly speaking, it wasn’t necessary as it was fulfilled, but he wanted to work it out for himself. There were also some questions that for him, remained unanswered.

“Reflections should be cast on all actions.” Jimmy frowned. He had no idea what that meant. He got that it had to do with light and darkness once again, but he had a feeling there was more to it. “Reflections.” He tapped with the pencil against the paper and leaned his head back against the wall. Something nagged at him in the back of his head, but he couldn’t say what it was. “What cannot be ignored?” He looked at the sentences. “Actions that are good and evil.” He cocked his head. “But what actions, and who can’t ignore it?” He tapped the pencil again. “Think, Jimmy.” He chastised himself. “This is about Tony and Ziva, but more Tony. So, what actions, cannot be ignored?” He looked up and the blood drained from his face.

Across from him through the door stood the Mirror of Life in its allocated spot. “The Mirror.” Jimmy came to his feet. “The Mirror showed us, me, every time Tony got born and every single time when he died. A mirror reflects.” He smiled. “I was right in using the Mirror.” His smile disappeared. “But then why didn’t Ducky want me to use the Mirror and help Tony? Especially since he knew what the prophecy said?” For a second, he wanted to turn around and ask the question to Ducky, but then he remembered, and his shoulders sagged and he lowered himself to the floor. He placed the paper and pencil next to him and closed his eyes. He missed his mentor. He missed listening to Ducky’s voice as the older mage told him long forgotten stories. He missed the guidance he got from the man. To him, Ducky was more than just a mentor, or friend. He was his father. His eyes stung with tears and he wiped at them in an attempt not to let them land on his cheeks. Jimmy took a deep breath and then opened his eyes again. He had to work through the rest of the prophecy and then continue with the letter.

“As an old era eases into the next.” Jimmy picked up his pencil again and tapped against the paper.

“This has to do with time.” He shook his head. “Tony was born in eighty-nine, so it’s the end of a decade, beginning of a new one?” It didn’t sound right. It sounded too limited. He had to take it wider, but how? “New century?” He shook his head. “Too far away. And by then he was only eleven. It can’t be that.” Jimmy continued to tap with the pencil.

“What if it’s not time?”

Jimmy nearly jumped out of his skin. “Abby? Where did you come from? How long have you been there?” He looked on as his friend entered Ducky’s sanctuary.

“Not long.” She shrugged. “I saw the door standing open and I heard you talking.” She sat down next to him on the floor. “What are you doing?”

Jimmy smiled and pulled her close to him. He knew Abby was taking Ducky’s death heard and the fact that she and Gibbs still hadn’t sorted their stuff out and with him spending all of his time with Tony, made things even worst.

“Ducky left me this letter.” He indicated to the scroll next to him on the floor. “He disclosed the whole prophecy, but he also told me that there was more than what I can see. Now, I’m trying to decipher it.”

Abby smiled. “Can I help?”

Jimmy looked at her. On the one hand, he wanted to do this on his own, but on the other hand, he knew Abby would feel a bit more appreciated if she could help. She would look at things with a different perspective and maybe that is what he needed. “Sure.” He showed her the relevant paragraph and what he’d found out so far.

For a long time, she looked at the paragraph without uttering a word. Finally, she spoke up. “It’s something like _out with the old, in with the new_.” She looked at Jimmy. “What about you and Ducky?”

Jimmy frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Look at the sentence as a whole. _‘As an old era eases into the next, the one to restore the balance will be finally brought into the light and it will be on his shoulders to do what is necessary to restore what was askew.’_ Ducky is, was old and you are young. Ducky was your mentor and he groomed you for years to become the next Oracle. A position that you now fulfil. _You_ are the next era. You are the one who made sure that Tony survived and is the main reason why he is still alive.”

“If he knew it would be on my shoulders to make sure the prophecy got fulfilled, why did he do it?” Jimmy couldn’t say the words. Even though he now knows that it isn’t true, for a period of time, even he believed that Ducky had indeed betrayed them.

Abby wiped away a tear. “I don’t know. He had to have a good reason, Jimmy. You knew Ducky better than anyone else, even Gibbs. There had to be a reason.”

Jimmy remained quiet. He swallowed hard for a few times. “Would you mind if I read the rest of this letter while you stay next to me?”

Abby reached out and grabbed hold of his hand. “I won’t mind.” She smiled.

Jimmy nodded and then took the letter in his free hand. He started reading it out loud and immediately sensed that Ducky’s mood had changed when he wrote this. For a moment he wondered if he wanted Abby to hear it. He’d already asked her to stay. It would be rude to retract the invite now.

_By now you must have realized that you were destined to play an important role in this prophecy as well. One, that I was supposed to encourage, but I did everything in my power to keep you as far away from the prophecy as what I could. However, it seemed that the universe always intended for you to play your part and in the end, it did not matter that I tried to interfere, you still played an active role. I will not apologize for my actions, as I acted out of selfishness, but I will give you my reasons as they involve you._

_At the time you became my apprentice, I was of the opinion that the prophecy would not be fulfilled. Not in my lifetime and most likely not even in yours. I have to admit, that I became despondent as I could see how things around us changed, and unfortunately, not for the better. The prophecy was supposed to bring light, restore things, but it was not happening. Then you became my apprentice and it was as if the universe stood up and began taking notice. More and more of the highest-ranking mages felt the change and after endless meetings we all agreed. You had to be the key._

_The Mirror of Life has always been in the possession of the reigning Oracle. The first time the Mirror showed you a reflection, I was stunned. Never before has the Mirror showed what lies beneath its surface to anyone else, except an Oracle. When it showed a young human boy, I found it strange as the Mirror seldom interfered in mere mortal lives. When that small boy died, it had left you devastated, and I could not help but to ponder on why did the Mirror not only show you the young boy, but also showed you his end. And then it happened again. When it happened the second time you overheard me mumbling about the prophecy and you were convinced that this boy was part of it. I was, too. But, I had to be sure._

_I started travelling more, seeking out answers and it was during such a trip that I had the unfortunate pleasure in making the acquaintance of a beautiful Elven lady. I say it was an unfortunate pleasure as it soon became clear that she might have been beautiful skin deep, but her soul was pitch black. Her power was strong and I underestimated her and she managed to trap me. I thought she would kill me, but what she did, was much worse._

_She showed me the future. A future where she would torture you, keep you captivated for ages and slowly letting you die. She showed me your death a thousand times. I had to choose, save your life and offer the prophecy up to her, or let the prophecy live and watch you die. The decision was easy. I would and could not let you die. I agreed and I took a death oath to insure your life._

Jimmy stopped reading. “Ziva. Ducky knew Ziva. He also knew he was going to die.”

Abby frowned and chose to ignore the fact that Ducky knew Ziva, although before this, they were all quite sure that they had met before. She just didn’t want to believe it. Instead, she focused on something else. “I’ve never heard about a death oath.”

Jimmy wiped his eyes. “It’s very old school and is actually banned from being used in modern times. It’s a binding contract between two parties where the one party forfeits its life to the other should the oath be broken without the agreement being reached in full.”

Abby slowly nodded. “When it became clear that Tony was the prophecy Ducky knew Ziva would kill you. He offered Tony up and then he saved Tony’s life, ending his on his own terms. Because if Tony lived, Ziva would’ve killed you and Ducky.”

Jimmy sighed. Ducky chose his life over his own. And now, he couldn’t even say thank you. He nodded. “Let’s continue.” He didn’t move away as Abby moved closer to him. He was grateful for her presence.

_But, I did not take into consideration just how strong willed you are, or for that matter, how strong willed our young prophecy seemed to be. Every instance, when he was reborn, I tried to keep you away, I chastised you for meddling in things that did not concern you, and I conveniently tried to forget that it was the Mirror that kept you informed. The Universe was set on making sure you did your duty, as I tried to do mine._

_When you, with Abigail’s help, rescued him from certain death, I was furious. As you have mentioned before, the time periods between his rebirths became shorter each time. And I knew my time was running out. But, then, Jethro came up with a solution. He wanted you on his team. At first, I was dead set against that idea, but then I realized – you would be separated from the Mirror. You would no longer be present for what was to be revealed and for me that was the perfect result._

_Then, fate intervened again and this time I, myself, could not stand by and let it happen. I saw the prophecy being abducted and kept captive. He was tortured, and I knew he would die. I found myself needing to stop that and for the first time since I knew about the prophecy, I actively did something to make sure it would be fulfilled. I saved him. I did not think he would survive, but he did and then he disappeared. The Mirror had gone silent. For me it meant it was the beginning of the end._

_It was also at this same time that I realized that I was not the only one who was playing a dangerous game. Jennifer Shepard was the only Nāgini I knew that resided in Washington D.C. She was the one who had taken the prophecy and who had tortured him. I knew of her betrayal, but I kept quiet. I could not reveal that I knew her secret, as it would expose my own secrets and that was something I could not do. From that day on, I made sure to keep a very close eye on her. I also made sure that you had the minimum contact with her as possible. I did not want you to get on her radar. You were mine to keep safe._

_Now, as I write this letter to you, I know she is dead. Killed by those she could not trust. I now know that the prophecy is Jethro’s first mate and for the first time I am powerless. I should have foreseen such a possibility. The prophecy would need someone to protect him, and there is no one better than Jethro. I have come to my senses. It should have been my duty to not only protect you, but also to protect the prophecy. Unfortunately, it is too late. I cannot go back and change my actions. However, I will no longer let my selfishness stand in the way of the future. I will make sure the prophecy is safe. I will do that with the last breath in my body._

_I have one last thing to do. I have to go and introduce myself to the one called Tony. The prophecy. From what I have seen, he will be a force to be reckoned with. He will keep Jethro on his toes. They will be perfect for one another._

_Oracle Palmer, when you read this letter, please forgive me for what I have done to you, our friends, the prophecy and to the universe. I have committed a great injustice, one that I hope to repair with my last actions._

_I will be forever proud of you, James Palmer. You are the son I never had._

_Yours truly,_  
_Donald Horatio Mallard_

Jimmy lowered the letter and bowed his head. He had no words to describe what he felt. When Abby hugged him, he wept.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Jimmy found himself to be nervous as he straightened his tie for the umpteenth time. He knew that he didn’t really have a reason to feel nervous, as he would be among his friends, but with the letter and what he needed to do, he was scared how they would react.

A hand grabbed his and he looked down to find Abby standing next to him once again. She squeezed his hand and smiled at him.

“You’ve got no reason to be so nervous, Oracle Palmer.”

Jimmy smiled. “You do realize that every time you call me oracle, you make it sound as if I am in trouble.”

Abby laughed. “Someone has to keep you on your toes, Jimmy.”

His shoulders relaxed, and he nodded. “No one better qualified than you, Abby.” He took a deep breath. “You ready?”

Abby nodded. “Ready.”

Jimmy reached for the door and opened it. The dining room table was set up for a feast, but the room itself was nowhere near being to capacity. Instead, there were only four others in the room. Jimmy smiled. Tobias and McGee stood next to one another holding hands. McGee had a slight blush on his cheeks and Tobias looked very chuffed with himself. Across from the dragon and Kitsune, sat the Alpha dragon and his mate. Tony had changed. Since he came into his powers, it was as if he became ageless. His skin glowed, his ears were now slightly pointed, and he looked beautiful and content. He also sat on Gibbs’ lap. The Alpha dragon kept him tight to his chest. Tony frowned at the action, but Jimmy could see that he was happy to stay right where he was.

“Sorry we’re late.” He addressed the room.

McGee moved away from Tobias and came over to him. “No reason to be sorry.” Without hesitation, he hugged Jimmy tight before he moved on and hugged Abby as well.

Jimmy nodded and reached out to shake hands with Tobias. He squeaked as Tobias grabbed hold of him and hugged him. He couldn’t help but to relax against the dragon’s chest. He smiled as Tobias released him. “Thank you.”

Tobias nodded. “Any time.” He looked over to the table laden with food. “I’m starving, can we eat now?” He didn’t wait for a reply, grabbed McGee’s hand and dragged him over to the table.

“I don’t know. Do you think Gibbs will let go of Tony anytime soon for them to eat, or do you think we should start looking at other means to get food into them?” Abby laughed as she skipped over to where Gibbs and Tony sat. She kissed Gibbs on his cheek. They had finally talked, and things were better between them. Without hesitating she took Tony by his hand and pulled him from Gibbs’ lap. “You need food.”

Tony laughed. “I don’t.”

“Yes, you do.” The room answered as one.

Tony shrugged. He’d never been a big eater, and he’d always been underweight, but it seemed like his new friends, didn’t like that one bit. If it wasn’t them trying to get him to eat, Gibbs would hand him healthy snacks to nibble on. He let Abby guide him to a chair and sat down. He smiled as his mate came to sit next to him. “Missed me?”

Gibbs laughed. “Always.”

Jimmy took in everything. It was clear that he was where he belonged. He missed Ducky, he knew the others did as well. He and Abby had already decided to tell all of Ducky’s stories to Tony. Their new friend should also get to know Ducky through their shared memories. He cleared his throat. When their attention focused on him, he continued. “I found a letter that Ducky wrote to me. I would like to share it with you.”

Abby smiled and nodded her head. The rest of the table nodded, and Jimmy told them about what he learned and just why Ducky did what he thought was the right thing to do.


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**Dragon Pride Estates**

Tony leaned with his back against Jethro’s chest with a sigh of content. He still couldn’t believe how things had worked out. Just over a month ago, he was a mere human, a con artist with a drug habit. Now, he was definitely not human (and yes, it still freaked him out a bit), didn’t have to pull another con in his life and had no need to get high on any drug. Things were starting to look better, he could say perfect, but nothing was perfect. He wasn’t perfect, but it was better than before. He smiled as Jethro caressed his thighs with his callused hands. He shivered. He couldn’t get enough from the dragon’s touch. Tony groaned as the hand traveled up towards his cock. It twitched, but he knew he wouldn’t get hard. Not again so soon. “Are you sure you are ancient?” He asked with a grin and turned his head to look at his naked mate behind him.

Jethro laughed behind him. “I am younger than you.”

Tony shook his head. “No, you’re not. I was born again and again. You, you were born only once. _You_ are older than me.”

Jethro nipped at Tony’s neck. “True.” He held Tony against his chest, his hand splayed over Tony’s heart. He could feel the beat beneath his palm. If he listened, he could hear the sound as their hearts beat almost in perfect sequence. They had yet to proceed with the final bond, having decided to wait as Tony had a lot of things on his plate. One was the Elven blade. It had caused him to have a deep scar on his shoulder, a similar one decorated Tony’s shoulder, both fully healed, yet tender to touch. They had no explanation how Tony bore the same scar as he. The wound where Ziva struck Tony with the blade first was healing much slower, but Gibbs had no reflecting injury on him. Then there was the fact that the blade glowed when Tony picked it up and it was as if it sang when Tony used it. Tony was a gifted blades-man. It was as if he was born with a blade in his hands. Jimmy and even the other mages they spoke to, were unsure of where the blade came from, or how it ended up with Ziva. He had a feeling it had something to do with Tony being the rightful heir to the Elven throne. And that was the second issue. He had the power to unite the race that was split in two so many centuries ago. And it was something that they couldn’t ignore, not for long in any case.

“Can we go flying again?”

Tony’s voice brought him back to the present and he grinned. “You love that.”

“It makes me feel free.”

Jethro closed his eyes for a second. “You are free.” It was one of the issues that they still dealt with. Since Tony was captured, it had brought up the memories from his first abduction with a vengeance. He suffered from severe panic attacks that made him unable to move. Tony had explained it to him that it felt as if the magical bonds that had kept him bound, surrounded him, squeezing the life from him. Tony got less and less sleep as his dreams were filled with images of torture and the panic attacks increased. In the end he had been a sobbing mess. Jethro had been at his wits end, he had no idea on what to do. It had been out of desperation that he’d picked Tony up, changed form and flew into the night. It had been what Tony needed. It had been what they both needed. The panic attacks had lessened and were currently down to one or two every few days.

Tony nodded. He moved closer to his mate. The sheet that covered their bodies slipped downwards, exposing the scar on his leg. He noticed that Gibbs stared at it. “Ducky saved me all those years ago.”

Jethro huffed. “He could’ve ended it then.”

“And take the chance of getting Jimmy killed?”

“He could’ve come to me. Talked to me. We would’ve sorted it out.” He shifted and leaned with his back against the headboard.

“Are you still angry with him?” Tony moved so that his back rested against the headboard as well. Their shoulders touched.

Jethro grunted. “Angry, no. Disappointed, yes. He didn’t trust me. He didn’t trust our friendship.”

“He did what he thought was the right thing to do.” Tony argued back. “I didn’t know Ducky. Hell, I only had one conversation with him, but in that few minutes I could see that he was not evil. He really believed that he only had one option.” Tony covered his mate’s hand with his. “He could’ve let me die in 2006, Jethro and no one would’ve been any wiser. But, he didn’t. He saved me. I wish he was alive, I would’ve loved to say to him thank you. Don’t forget that he had been your friend for so many years. He died for me. For you.”

Jethro nodded. “It won’t happen overnight.”

“I can understand that.” Tony shifted lower and placed his head on his mate’s chest. “Abby told me Ducky had the most amazing stories. I bet you know a few. Tell me one, please.”

Jethro smiled. He slipped his hand into Tony’s hair and stroked the elf’s hair. “I can do that.” He leaned in and kissed Tony on the temple before he spoke up. “Let me tell you about the first time he came across a troll…”

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Gibbs knocked on the door and waited patiently for it to open. One of the things that Tony needed was privacy. He was used to being on his own and found it difficult to be surrounded by a number of beings around him. Especially, around a pride of dragons that could become very rowdy at times. He was more relaxed when it was just the two of them, or even when they met up with Tobias and McGee. He would start getting restless if the numbers became more than that. When he’d asked for a place where he could relax, Gibbs didn’t hesitate to give him this room. It had belonged to Shannon and she’d spent hours there. She would do needlework, read, or just sit and relax. She’d also found out that it was the most warded room in the estate. She’d nearly taken his head for that, but in the end, she’d understood. He had to keep her safe. His heart ached. If she and Kelly had been in this room when the attack happened, they would still have been alive. Gibbs shook his head. He couldn’t think like that. Finally, the door opened and he smiled. Especially when he saw how Tony was covered in paint.

“Have you taken up body painting?” He asked as he leaned against the door and looked at his mate.

“What?” Tony frowned and then smiled as he looked down and saw how he looked. “Sorry. I’m normally not this messy.” He turned and walked into the room again. He frowned when he realized his mate didn’t follow him in. “And now?”

Gibbs grinned. “I’m staring at your ass.”

Tony returned the smile as he turned in an attempt to see his own backside. “Is it good looking?”

“Extremely.” Gibbs stepped over the threshold. The wards rippled around him, but they stayed up. Jimmy had strengthened them in such a way that they would bend for him as he passed through them, but they were dragon proof. Not even Tobias could enter the room. He grabbed Tony’s hand and pulled his painted mate to his chest. He kissed him hard and he smiled as Tony sighed against his lips and melted into the kiss. They continued to kiss, keeping it slow and sensual until they finally pulled apart. “What are you painting?” He looked over Tony’s shoulder and frowned. “Is that Raphael’s St. George and the Dragon?”

Tony gaped at his mate. “You know this painting?”

Gibbs huffed. “Do you think I’m such a brute that I don’t know about master pieces?”

Tony grinned. “No, I just didn’t think you’d be interested in it.”

“There’s still a lot you don’t know about me, mate of mine.” Gibbs pulled Tony closer again. “You want to tell me why you are painting this? And from the looks of it, on the exact same scale as the original.”

Tony sighed. “You remember when we talked about me being a con artist among other things?”

“Yes, and you’re an amazing artist as well. Abby told me about the Trevi fountain you’ve done before. I’ve also seen the pages of sketches you’ve been doing around the estate.” Gibbs smiled. He’d come across a sketch Tony had made on a napkin. It was of Tobias in his dragon form with McGee in his Kitsune form. They were staring at one another. Gibbs could see the blossoming love between his two friends. He’d taken the napkin and given it to Tobias. His friend couldn’t stop grinning when he saw what it was.

Tony blushed at the compliment. “Thank you.” He moved forward, but when the grip around his waist remained strong, he relaxed against his mate.

“And?” Gibbs prodded gently.

Tony sighed. “I’m painting this for the National Gallery of Art.”

“Why?”

“Because the original is missing.”

“Missing?”

“Yes, missing. And now the museum is having grave financial problems and they want to put it on display again, but it can’t go on display.”

“Because it’s missing.” Gibbs completed the sentence.

“Yes, you’ve got it in one.”

“So, you’re forging it.”

Tony cringed at the words. “I’m copying it.”

Gibbs shook his head. “You’re falsifying it. Especially if it’s going to go on display. Or will there be a plaque to say it’s a copy of the original?”

“No need to get technical about things.” Tony moved away. He grabbed a rag and wiped his hands.

“Are you upset?”

Tony shrugged. “I can’t let the museum close its doors. And if it’s found out that the Raphael painting has been stolen, it would be the last nail in their coffin.”

“I assume you’re not doing it for free.”

“I had to make money somehow.”

Gibbs shook his head. “You know you don’t need to do that anymore.”

“I know.” Tony dragged his hand across his face. “But, I’m not doing it for the money, Jethro. I’ll give my fee to charity if that would appease you.”

“It’s not about me, Tony.” Gibbs stepped up to Tony and hugged the younger man to his chest. “You did this to survive.”

“It made sure that I had a roof over my head, food in my belly and drugs in my blood.” Tony closed his eyes. “The people I conned, could afford it, Jethro. They had millions and millions of pounds, or dollars. They were greedy and just wanted more. I conned them out of their money, and they couldn’t do a thing about it. I mean, which rich bastard was going to open his mouth to say he was conned when he now _owned_ a painting which he wasn’t supposed to have in the first place? It was perfect.”

Gibbs swallowed hard. “I try to block it from my mind that you’ve been on the streets since you were twelve years old.”

“I’ve made it, haven’t I?” Tony opened his eyes as he shook his head. “I’m luckier than most, Jethro. I could’ve died from the drugs. I came close once or twice.”

Abby had been the one who asked that difficult question first. He’d come clean and told them that he still used drugs, but that he didn’t suffer from any withdrawal symptoms if he didn’t use. When he craved the drugs, it was because it took him out of his mind and he’d needed that. Tony did realize that it was a very unhealthy crutch he used to lean on. But, since he woke up in a strange bed with Jethro by his side he hasn’t craved drugs.

Jimmy concluded that although, he had been born many times, and died just as many times, in his core he remained elven and it was his elven side that helped against the withdrawal symptoms. He could however still die of an overdose. They did make him promise that he would talk to them if he felt the need to use, and it was a promise he made easily. But, he didn’t want to get high on drugs, not when he could get an all-natural high from flying on his mate’s back with the world beneath his feet.

“When do you need to have this done?” Gibbs rested his head on Tony’s shoulder.

Tony sighed. “In less than a month. I’m cutting it very close. I still need to get it dried to get the aging process correct, otherwise no one will believe it’s the original.”

Gibbs hummed. “Let’s go. I need to show you something.”

Tony frowned. “Now?”

“Yes, now.” Gibbs smiled. “I have a feeling you’ll love it.”

Tony shrugged. “Let me just change.”

Gibbs shook his head. “Not necessary.” He let go of Tony and walked to the large window and opened it up. “We’re flying.”

Tony grinned from ear to ear. “Let’s go.” He jumped on his mate’s back and laughed as Gibbs stepped off the window sill and changed his form.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

“Dragons really are hoarders.” Tony grinned as he walked through the rows and rows of treasure.

“We love shiny things.” Gibbs shrugged.

“You can say that again.” Tony picked up a Fabergé egg and inspected it closer. “I can’t believe I’m holding it in my hand.” He looked at his mate. “This is the Nécessaire egg. It’s supposedly lost and yet, here I’m standing with it in my hands.”

Gibbs smiled. “It’s not lost, just not available for everyone to see.”

“How long have you had it? Where did you get it?” Tony gently turned the egg in his hands. It was made from gold, emeralds, rubies, diamonds, sapphires and pearls and about three inches in height. With gentle hands he placed it down and stepped back.

“I acquired it in 1952. Won it in a poker match.”

Tony grinned. “You play poker.”

Gibbs laughed. “Yes, I do. And let me inform you of something, mate of mine. Do not play against Abby, or Jimmy. They are both sharks when it comes to poker.”

“Maybe you and I should play alone. I hear strip poker can be very rewarding.”

Gibbs shook his head and pulled Tony to his side. “I think we can play a game or two.” He kissed his mate and then broke their connection. He became serious. “Our relationship is a bit backwards, but there are certain things that I still intend to do.” When Tony frowned, Gibbs held up his finger. “Let me explain, please.”

Tony nodded.

“When a dragon finds its mate, either first or second, there are certain traditions that needs to be upheld. Shannon would have my head for not doing this correctly.” Gibbs smiled as Tony rolled his eyes. He had spoken about Shannon and Kelly a lot to Tony. They’ve been to their graves and he knew that Tony was the one responsible for the fresh flowers that now decorated his girls’ final resting place on a daily basis.

“One of the traditions that needs to be followed is the courting gifts.”

Tony couldn’t help but to snicker. “Courting gifts?”

It was Gibbs’ turn to roll his eyes. “Yes, courting gifts. Dragons are strong, that’s a given, but with strength alone you cannot show your mate that you’d be able to support them. You need to show them that you’ve got treasures, that you’ll shower them with all things beautiful, and that you’ll be able to support them for as long as you live.”

“So, you brag about how rich you are?”

Gibbs sighed. “Shannon said the same thing. And worst of all, she was a dragon, she knew all of this.”

“I like her more every day.”

“She would’ve loved you, Tony.” Gibbs smiled. “But, don’t let me get distracted.”

“Yes, courting gifts.”

“Yes. There are three primary courting gifts given even before the first meeting is supposed to take place.”

“Meeting?” Tony frowned. “By meeting you mean a date? Like going out for dinner or a movie?”

“Yes, yes, a date.”

Tony laughed. “Well, at least we haven’t been on a date as yet. So, that’s not backwards.”

“Yes, but we have been intimate.”

Tony shook his head. “Yes, we have made love, but we’ve also fucked.” He grinned. “A lot.” He still couldn’t believe how easy it was to give his body to Jethro. Just thinking of his mate made him hard. He cleared his throat. “Let me guess, we were not supposed to have sex?”

“Yes.” Gibbs shrugged. “Sometimes it’s good to throw the old traditions out of the window. But, there are some that are still needed.” He took Tony’s hand and walked deeper into the large room. “Each courting gift should have a specific meaning. Not only should it show my intention towards you, but it should also reflect what I think of you.”

“Seriously?”

“Indeed.” Gibbs grinned. “Courting lasts about three years, Tony. Sometimes even longer. The two dragons were supposed to get to know one another inside and out.”

“Are you going to court me for three years?” They’d both agreed to wait until his elven heritage had been sorted out, but he didn’t think it would be another three years.

Gibbs grinned. “I hope not, as I won’t be able to wait that long before we finally bond. But, we will bond when you’re ready, Tony, and if it turns out to be longer than three years, then I will wait, patiently.”

Tony had no words and he merely nodded his head.

Gibbs came to a standstill in front of a painting. He picked it up and handed it to Tony. He looked on as his mate’s eyes grew huge. “To me, you are the knight in this painting. You are Saint George, and although there’s a dragon on the ground, with a lance stuck in its chest to me that represents what you’ve overcome in life. It represents the man who you last called father, the fact that you grew up on the streets and survived, the fact that you were abducted and tortured to near death and still survived. All of those things show just how strong you are. You have overcome all the odds that were stacked against you, and your journey has not yet ended. Every dragon needs a knight, Tony and to me, you’re that knight. You are stronger than what you believe and I will do everything in my power to show you that, so that one day you can believe it as well.”

Tony’s hands shook as he looked at the painting he held in his hands. It was the original Raphael. He didn’t have to authenticate it, he had no doubt in what it was.

“The museum never had the original.” He snorted. His eyes burned from the tears that gathered in them and he blinked hard to get them away. A hand lifted his head and a thumb brushed the tears away. He smiled. “Thank you.”

Gibbs returned his smile. “I’m the one who should thank you.” He looked at the painting. “Do you accept this gift from me to you as your first courting gift?”

Tony nodded. “I do.”

Gibbs hummed and pulled Tony to his chest and kissed him hard.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

**National Gallery of Art: Opening of the grand masters’ exhibit**

Gibbs couldn’t take his eyes of his mate. Tony was dressed in a fitted tux, it followed the lines of his body and more than one human and creature had turned their heads to get a look at him. Gibbs had growled a few times and even Tobias, who came along with McGee and who acted as bodyguards, had rolled his eyes at him.

He looked on as Tony picked up a flute of champagne and brought it to his lips. His adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed, and Gibbs hardened as he thought of his cock down Tony’s throat. He made his way to his mate’s side and took the flute out of his hand. He placed it on a tray of a server who walked past.

“I was drinking that.” Tony said with a smile.

“Not a good idea.” Gibbs moved into Tony’s personal space and stood with his pelvis right up against Tony’s hip. “You make me hard and I don’t think you want me to get hard here.”

Tony grinned and looked down. He could see the tent in Gibbs’ trousers. “I can help you with that.”

Gibbs groaned. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

“Not for a very long time, I hope.” Tony smiled and leaned in to kiss his mate. He gasped as Gibbs’ hand gripped him at the back of his head and held him close. He loved it when his mate went all alpha on him. He moaned as Gibbs finally released him from the scorching kiss. “Fuck.”

“Indeed.” Gibbs cocked his head. “Have you ogled all of the paintings enough for tonight, mate? Or do you wish to linger here longer?”

“Ogled?” Tony shrugged. “Well, I do think I want to have another look at that one painting.” He turned to make his way over to where the painting of St. George and the dragon was displayed. He didn’t get far as Gibbs pulled him back against his chest with a growl.

“No. We’re leaving.” Gibbs nipped at Tony’s ear and without having any regard to any other person and or creature in the exhibit hall, he flung Tony over his shoulder and exited the room. The humans gasped at the scene, the supernatural creatures just grinned and looked away. If a dragon wanted his mate, nothing and no one was going to stop it. Not even a 509-year-old painting.

****

**NCIS Big Bang 2018**

Tony arched up, his back bowed off the bed. His hands fisted around the silk bonds that held him captive. He gasped for air and groaned as his mate’s heated mouth closed around his aching shaft and swallowed him down.

“FUCK!” He shuddered, his head lolled from side to side. His hips refused to settle down on the bed beneath him. Callused hands grabbed his hips and pushed him down. “No, no, please, please,” he begged breathlessly as he tried to thrust upwards, but Jethro held him tight. Tony moaned as his mate’s teeth scraped ever so slightly along the side of the cock before Jethro pushed his tongue into Tony’s slit that made Tony gasp and tremble all at the same time. He could do nothing but lay there and accept what was being done to him. He whimpered as Jethro swallowed again. He could feel the tip of his cock right at the back of Jethro’s throat. He wanted to cum so badly, but his mate had placed a cockring on him the moment they flew into the bedroom. It seemed like his mate wanted to drive him over the edge of craziness. “Jethro, please, please, let me cum, please.” He begged. His hands fisted the bonds again. He began pulling at the silk. It had taken him a while to get used to the idea of being tied up during sex, and he normally loved it, but now he wanted out. His breath hitched, and tears rolled down his cheeks. “Gibbs,” he sobbed, and it was enough.

“Tony!” The moment his mate uttered his last name, he knew something was wrong. He looked up and when he saw how distraught Tony looked, he was up on his knees and freed Tony from the bonds. His mate sobbed and hugged him hard. “Shh, it’s okay, you’re okay, shh. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He kept on soothing the crying man until Tony finally calmed down. Jethro gathered Tony in his lap and they sat together until Tony finally spoke up.

“I’m sorry.”

Jethro shook his head. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry about. I’m the one who should be sorry.” He lifted Tony’s hands and inspected his wrists. The marks were very faint, but still visible to a dragon’s eye. He kissed each wrist gently. “You okay?”

Tony nodded. “Yeah.” He swallowed. “I just panicked for a moment. I wanted to touch you, and I couldn’t and I tried to get free, but…” He shuddered. “I’m sorry, I’ve ruined the moment.”

Gibbs growled. “You’ve not ruined anything. I think we should stop using bondage. I can’t let you get hurt.”

Tony wanted to argue, but he also knew his mate was worried. “Maybe we could improvise.” He loved being able not to move. “Maybe I can just hold on to the bindings for as long as possible. You can always place my hands back.”

Jethro thought about it. “We’ll see.” He reached for the cockring but looked up as Tony’s hands covered his.

“No.”

“Tony.”

Tony shook his head and wiggled his hips. “I can still feel you beneath me, Jethro. You might not be as hard as before, but you’re still fairly hard, and I want this. I need this. Please.”

Jethro groaned as Tony shifted on his lap again. He could feel his cock harden with every move Tony made. “You sure?”

Tony looked down at his own cock and placed Jethro’s hand around it. “You can feel how I’m getting hard.”

Jethro grinned. Tony was right, he could feel his mate’s cock thicken in his hand. With sure movements he twisted their bodies and laughed as Tony gasped when he found himself on the mattress with Jethro leaning over him. “Now, where were we?”

Tony lifted his head and kissed his mate hard. “You were going to put your cock in me and ride me hard.”

“Indeed.” Jethro lifted Tony’s hands above his head. “Keep them there for as long as you can.”

“I will.” Tony lifted his head and moaned as his mate’s mouth encircled his cock again. “Fuck!” He shivered but held his hands above his head as Jethro swallowed him down again. “Please, please,” he continued to beg, but then moaned as Jethro released his cock from his mouth with a pop. Before he could complain, Jethro took him by the hips and flipped him over. He landed hard on his stomach. “Fuck,” he shuddered as a pillow got worked in between his hips and the mattress, raising his ass up higher. “Jethro!” He yelled as his mate spread his cheeks and started to rim him. He could feel the broadside of Jethro’s tongue licking up and down his puckered hole, then the tip of his tongue pushed through the muscle. His cock dripped pre-cum as his mate continued to drive him upwards and upwards to the point of no return.

Tony lifted his head from the bed. “Please, please, fuck me, please.” He nearly sobbed out loud. He tried to rise, but a hand to the small of his back kept him down. He turned his head when the mattress shifted and smiled as he saw Jethro on his knees behind him. His mate stroked his own cock. The shaft slick with pre-cum and lube as Jethro tossed the lube to the side and then leaned forward.

“Fuck.” Tony arched up. His upper body was still on the bed, but his ass was in the air. It was one of his favorite positions. He moaned as Jethro moved over him and rested his hands on the side of Tony’s head. He turned his head, as Jethro moved his one hand and guided his cock in between Tony’s cheeks. “Please,” he begged again. He moaned as his mate brushed the head of his cock against the puckered hole before he gently pushed inwards. Tony’s outer muscle gave way as the Jethro’s cocked breached his sphincter. Jethro lowered his hand next to Tony’s head again and then as if he was doing pushups, he thrust in and out of Tony’s body. Each downward thrust went deeper. Jethro kept his pace slow and long, breaching Tony’s body with his cock until both dragon and elf were covered in sweat.

“More, please.” Tony begged.

Jethro thrust downward again, grabbed hold of Tony and moved his mate’s body with his, bringing them both up. He managed to keep his cock inside of Tony as he widened his own stance so that Tony rested on his calves and he rocked forward on his knees. The angle was perfect, and he brushed against Tony’s prostate again and again as he thrust forward.

Tony shuddered. “Please.” He reached for his cock, but his hand got pushed away. He couldn’t take it anymore and he had a feeling that he would erupt even with the cockring still on. “Please.” He begged, and, in a haze, he looked down and saw Jethro’s hand around his cock. His mate released the snap of the ring and took his cock in hand.

“Cum for me, Tony.” Jethro roared as his own orgasm slammed into him. He stroked Tony’s cock and could feel Tony’s seed covering his hand as his mate reached his own peak. He continued to milk Tony as he came down from his own high and when his mate shook, he let go of Tony’s spent cock. Without withdrawing, he turned their bodies again so that Tony was the little spoon and he big one. He would have to withdraw from his mate’s body soon, but until then there was nothing hindering them from lying side by side regaining their breath.

“Fuck.” Tony sighed and turned his head to look at his mate behind him. He could feel his ass throbbing around Jethro’s cock and he knew he would feel it in the morning, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“You can say that again.” Jethro leaned in and kissed Tony softly. He nipped gently at Tony’s bottom lip and smiled as his mate’s eyes drooped with exhaustion.

“Fuck.” Tony repeated the word and smiled. His eyes refused to stay open and he gently drifted off to sleep.

Jethro looked on as his mate finally fell asleep. He had a feeling that this would be one of the few times they would get some rest. Already more than one representative from the different Elven clans had arrived at the Dragon Estates. They were all demanding an audience with their new heir to the throne and they were not impressed that he was keeping them away from Tony. His mate needed more time before he started the next part of his journey and he and he knew the rest of their friends would do everything in their power to keep Tony just a bit longer for themselves. But, he also knew that they would have to go to the Elven realm soon as Tony still had another part of the prophecy to fulfill. Until then, he was going to keep his mate safe. Nothing was going to take Tony away from him. He was the first mate to the Alpha Dragon of the world.

**THE END**


	16. Acknowledgments

**Acknowledgments:**

[ ](https://imgur.com/UojOf5E)

I have to start with this piece of art. Initially, this story was supposed to be part of the **Rough Trade** November 2017 challenge where the goal was to write a fic of 50 000 words in your favorite fandom, but place them in an urban fantasy scenario. I was extremely excited to partake, but then real life stepped in and I couldn't write this story. But, the idea was formed and I promised myself that with the next NCIS big bang challenge, that this will be my project.

For the Rough Trade challenge you need either a photo of one of your characters or a banner for the challenge. There are some amazing artists in the group who offers their services and the amazing [pickingupellen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickingupellen) came to my assistance when I requested help and she's the one responsible for making this amazing banner! I promised her that the day I posted this story, I will make sure to give her credit for this piece of art! Today, is that day. From the bottom of my heart I once again **thank you** for this amazing banner that you made for me. :-) 

**Edit 4 January 2019:**

[rose_malmaison](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rose_malmaison) created this amazing piece of art for this story. I am forever in her debt! **Thank you!**

[ ](https://imgur.com/HcyyWJ4)

Next on the list is, [Jacie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacie). This amazing lady is responsible for running the NCIS big bang challenge each and every year without fail. To her I bow and say thank you for holding this challenge for all of us.

Last, but certainly not the least, I need to give thanks to two amazing women who acted as my beta readers for this challenge! [jane_x80](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jane_x80) and [jesco0307](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesco0307). Ladies, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you! You were with me from the beginning of this story until the very last word. You were more than just beta readers, you encouraged me, you made me laugh, you made me rethink certain plots and in the end you made this story into what it is today. Without you, this story wouldn't have been possible.

Now, if you've read up to here, I can tell you that there will be a sequel. This time, we'll go and visit Tony's side of the family and meet some more interesting characters.


End file.
